Reconciled
by SLOW INCINERATION
Summary: Blackarachnia, the estranged sister of Airachnid, returns to the Decepticons after millenia of being thought offlined. She is re-integrated into the faction and attempts to reconcile with her sister through her children… Her own sparklings that Airachnid has been raising. (Set in TFP Verse)
1. Chapter 1

_(A/N: This is a birthday present for Lord Nitro. Man, that guy is great! ^^ This chapter is short, and I hope that it was good. If not, I will work harder on the next chapters. There WILL BE A SEQUEL to this story! Hope you guys enjoy, and please let me know what you think! :) )_

 **Prologue: A Sudden Return**

The signal had been lost nearly a millenia ago… There had been nothing with which to track their progress and absolutely no sign of where they could've gone, or what could've become of them… That alone kept the need to search alive in her spark.

A lone figure emerged from the flaming wreckage of what seemed to be a small aircraft, of alien make, and looked to have been overused… The owner of the strange aircraft stood and watched the ship that had been her home for so long burn away, a ball of flame erupting from when the heat lit the fuel tanks.

Silently turning away from the wreckage, the lithe figure turned her red optics onto the land before her, taking in the strangeness of a planet that wasn't her own, and wouldn't ever be unless she found for whom she searched.

Roaming red optics took in the organic land before she began to move among the trees, flitting like a silent shadow, searching, always searching.

It was confirmed. Her sister was present on this strange planet that teemed with strange life. She had been alert enough to pick up a strange marking in the trunk of a massive tree, and, upon further study, was confirmed to be from the legs of an angry Airachnid.

Hearing a strange sound behind her, the Cybertronian femme leaped upwards into the branches of a massive tree, hunching low as she hissed softly, fangs clicking as she waited to see just what creature dared to approach her in the darkness of this planet's moonless night.

The sound of rustling nearby caused the femme to tense up and her four red optics to narrow, trying to make out the forms of the intruders, her audios picking up the sound of two sets of pedes, curiosity curling up in her spark at the sudden realization of the fact that these two newcomers were _Cybertronian._

Voices now reached the strange femme in her concealment, and two mechs appeared, both of whom she immediately recognized, a small smile curling up the corners of her lip components, and the femme hopped down to the ground in front of them. "Knockout. I never thought I'd be seeing your again… _Especially_ on this sort of planet." The femme spoke in a calm, collected tone.

Knockout and Breakdown had jerked back when someone had dropped down in front of them, but the moment he heard that voice, the medic recognized it and he felt several different emotions well up in his spark as he looked up, his red optics wide. His optics took in the femme. Long, lithe legs, faceplates similar to Airachnid with the exception of having two sets of red optics, black and gold armouring, eight spider-like legs protruding from her backstrut… Purple protoform with exposed midriff… There was no doubt about it.

"Blackarachnia?" Breakdown spoke first, looking completely and utterly confused as he stared back and forth between his friend and the spider-femme, who chuckled, leaning against the tree she had been hiding in just a moment before. "Why Knockout, you look unhappy." She stated.

Finally recovering from his initial shock, Knockout glared at the femme. "What are you doing here?" He demanded, his voice taking on a higher pitch as he tried to wrap his processor around the fact that his old crush was standing in front of him.

Blackarachnia raised her optical ridges, the only change in her faceplates as she studied Knockout. "I can see you haven't changed." She stated calmly before responding to his question. "Tracking Airachnid. My sparklings." She responded, pushing away from the tree and approaching them both now. "So. Where's the HQ?" She asked, arms crossed over her chassis.

"No. No, absolutely not!" Knockout cried, shaking his helm as he glared at the femme. "There is _no way_ I'm going to be staying in the same premesis as you!" He stated loudly, clearly upset by the femme's sudden appearance.

Rolling her optics, Blackarachnia snorted. "If you don't show me, you know that I'll find it." She responded, studying Knockout. "Surely you aren't still sore towards me?" She added, slightly amused by the immaturity of the sports model mech.

Opening his mouth to respond, Knockout was cutoff by the sudden appearance of a third mech, large with blue and gold armour, Blackarachnia smiled faintly. "Dreadwing." She murmured, studying the much larger mech who paused where he stood, red optics widening when he recognized her. "Blackarachnia." He responded in his deep, calm tone, although he was obviously surprised.

Blackarachnia smiled again, fangs overlapping her lower lip as she cocked her helm at the mech, servo on her hip as Dreadwing stared. "The reports. You were reported to have been offlined." He finally stated, his words causing Blackarachnia to roll her optics. "The reports were wrong." She stated simply. "I wish to present myself to our Lord." She added.

Nodding, as if he was suddenly just realizing the importance of this discovery, Dreadwing reached up to his comm, asking for a space bridge to be sent to them, and that Megatron would be greatly interested in a discovery they had made.

The swirl of green, white and purple appeared before them, and Blackarachnia looked down at Knockout before moving past him and following behind Dreadwing through the groundbridge, the red sports model following after her with Breakdown, not at all happy with bringing the spider femme back to base.

"Is it because you like her?" Breakdown's voice near his audio caused the mech to jump and glare. "No! I used to! Key word _used_. _Past_ tense." He responded. "The problems she's going to cause. Don't you think that having she and Airachnid even in the same ship is a good idea?" He demanded pointedly, Breakdown seeming to finally grasp where the red medic was coming from. "Oh." He responded.

Megatron, Soundwave and Starscream were waiting at the other side of the groundbridge when Blackarachnia emerged, and the reactions weren't at all disappointing.

Starscream's mouth fell open as he stared in shock, wings shooting up on his back as he tensed, obviously surprised with the spider-femme's appearance, and took him several moments to recover, but Megatron stared for a moment before a smirk curled over his lip components. "Blackarachnia." He stated, the surprise evident in his voice, but the pleasure at the sight of her came out on top as he chuckled darkly. "Now we seem to have an advantage." He stated.

Blackarachnia stood before the warlord, one servo on her hip as he smirked at the warlord. "My lord." She stated, giving a small bow while Starscream spluttered beside Megatron, trying to figure out just how the slag she had found them. "B-But the reports! You're offline!" He cried, the spider femme turning to face him. "I see you're as discerning as usual, Starscream." She stated sarcastically.

"How is it that you seem to have located us on this planet?" Megatron demanded, servos clasped behind his backstrut as he studied the femme in front of him. Back on Cybertron, she had been the greatest of his scientists, above even Shockwave, not to mention her other powers that she possessed.

"I was tracking the progress of my sister." Blackarachnia responded. "My ship crashed here, which must have been the reason Dreadwing was knocking around the forest?" She asked, glancing at the big seeker, who nodded in response to her question.

Megatron was pleased with the outcome of the search. At first he had hoped that it would be a relic, or a Decepticon transport, but Blackarachnia was several times more valuable than trinkets or grunts. "I trust that you are here to rejoin me?" He demanded, the spider femme's lips parting in a fanged smile. "I wouldn't dream of anything less." She responded calmly.

The sound of a door opening up behind her caused them all to turn, red optics meeting pink as Airachnid stood in the doorway, mouth open and optics wide with obvious shock and disdain.

Blackarachnia felt her spark sink slightly… Like she had expected, nothing had changed between herself and Airachnid… Her sister was still bitter and didn't wish to be near her.

"Airachnid." Blackarachnia spoke calmly as she looked over her sister, who she hadn't seen for millenial.

"Blackarachnia." Airachnid responded, but her voice was full of bitterness, resentment and a tint of hatred.

Yes, things had changed, but Blackarachnia feared for the worst. Her optics moved down to lock onto two little spider sparklings, who stood on either side of her sister, and her expression softened… They weren't Airachnid's sparklings…

They were _hers._


	2. Chapter 2

_(A/N: Just so you guys know, I now have a reference to how this falls in line with the TFP episodes… A loose timeline, so to speak._

 _One Shall Rise, One Shall Fall (Prts 1,2 and 3): Airachnid never tried to overthrow Megatron and remained in charge until the warlord's return, and Starscream was never kicked out of the Decepticons. He accompanied Megatron._

 _So this AU is taking place after/during the episode Crossfires._

 _There will be references/scenes from the TFP seasons, but keep in mind this is an AU, so it won't be completely like the videos.)_

 **Chapter 1: Strained Relationships**

Blackarachnia's four red optics locked onto the first sparkling, a femme, who was thin to the point where any of the larger mechs around her could snap her in half without any sort of exertion, her spider legs thin and pointed. Her optics were red like her carrier's, and her armour was a glossy black with golden markings. The second sparkling was a mech, and of a much more bulky frame type consisting of completely black armour, thick spider legs, shimmering optics like those of his aunt Airachnid, and, as Blackarachnia studied him, large, insectiode wings flicked with an unsurity.

Area and Araneon…

Finally taking in the sight of her creations healthy and well, Blackarachnia turned her attention back to her sister, who was staring at her with first shock, then burning hatred, bitterness reflecting in the pink optics as the femme took a step back. "H-How?" She demanded, a flick of fangs flashing when she spoke, frame tense.

Placing a servo on her hip, Blackarachnia cocked her helm as she gave an easy smile. "It's me, Air. Surely you didn't think I'd been offlined so easily?" She responded in a calm tone that Airachnid was all too familiar with… The pink opticed spider femme glared and took another step back as she glared at her sister. "Still as proud and arrogant as I remember." Airachnid spat, turning to the sparklings. "Area, Araneon, come." She ordered, turning to leave the room.

Area looked up at the femme that had raised her as if she was her carrier, then at Blackarachnia, a look of sympathy on her beautiful faceplates, completely unsure of what was going on, but playing it cool as she turned to follow Airachnid, leaving her brother to stand stock still, looking confused but also curious at the sight of another of his Cybertronian type, smiling shyly before Airachnid called for him, tone sharp. "Araneon! Come!"

Frowning slightly, Blackarachnia watched her creations scamper off after her sister, venting softly… Obviously Airachnid wasn't not only displeased to see her, but also still harbouring resentment towards her for… Pushing the thought away, the femme turned and smirked at Starscream, Megatron looking amused while his SIC seemed to be calculating ways of how to use the state of Airachnid and Blackarachnia's relationship to his advantage.

"My Lord. I have come to serve you, in any way I can, if you have use of me." She stated in a proud, but still humble, voice, tilting her helm in reverance to the massive mech before her, who nodded slowly. "This is a tactical advantage in my favour against the Autobots, Blackarachnia. I have gained a scientist and a strategist all at once!" Megatron stated with a smirk, glancing over at Starscream before looking at her again. "Knockout will show you to the medbay, and you may use anything you need for any of your projects. I will also call for your advice in battle strategies when the time comes." He stated.

Blackarachnia gave a small nod. "I will serve you as I did on Cybertron, my Lord." She responded softly before turning and looking at Knockout, giving him a smirk that allowed her lips to lift and reveal her venomous fangs. "After you, doctor." She stated, making the red mech glare before stalking out of the room.

The moment they had vanished, Starscream opened his mouth to protest against Megatron's decision, however a look from the ex-gladiator effectively shut him up. "Save your complaints, Starscream! It is no secret that you fear for your position." The warlord hissed as Starscream's wings lowered slightly. "And if you continue to disappoint me, Blackarachnia will have your position!" He added loudly, pointing at the door. "Now get out!" He shouted, the seeker only too eager to obey him.

Blackarachnia kept her emotions in check, not wanting Knockout to know that she was disturbed by the greeting she had been given by her sister, or that she desperately wanted to be with her sparklings, not following him to the medbay.

Instead, the femme just quietly followed behind him, confident and content for the moment, well aware of the fact that Knockout was less than pleased with the presence of the femme that he had once had… the 'feels' for, as the humans would say.

"Quaint." Blackarachnia stated when they entered the medbay, looking around the room before her optics landed on Knockout. "And small."

Knockout glared up at the femme, completely annoyed now, and unable to continue attempting to be calm. "Well _excuse me,_ your ladyship! We all don't have the massive science complexes that we did back on Cybertron!" The red mech cried, the spider femme only laughing in amusement, which riled the mech up even further.

"Ah, Knockout… You haven't changed a bit, have you?" She asked in amusement, chuckling before she shook her helm again, stepping further into the medbay and moving around it slowly, taking in her surroundings with utmost care, even though there was little to be seen. "You will remain the medic, Knockout, if that is what you fear." She finally stated, looking back at the cherry red mech, who snorted. "I have no fears I will retain my position!" He responded defensively.

Blackarachnia hummed softly as she cocked her helm at him. "Perhaps… Unless our lord finds that your usefulness runs out." She responded carefully, not at all threatening, just stating a mere fact that all Decepticons were aware of, even she herself. "However, I have no interest in the medical side of things, unless my skills are needed." She added.

Knockout eyed the femme before him, trying to tell himself that she wasn't emat all/em pretty, with those lithe, long legs… That exotic purple protoform… Her strange-... The medic pulled away from those thoughts, shaking his helm and snorting at her before turning away from the femme. "I believe I can handle the medical division." He responded. He was with Breakdown now… Blackarachnia and he were never a… emthing,/em so he shouldn't be getting all worked up about her!

Studying the medic's back, the spider femme opened her mouth to speak when she saw two little helms peering at her from around the medbay doorframe, causing the femme to smile and cock her helm at her sparklings. "You are Area and Araneon, are you not?" She asked, flashing a fanged smile at the sparklings, who smiled shyly, the femmeling nodding.

The spider femme sat down and motioned for the sparklings to come into the room, the two scampering up to her, looking excited and pleased as they looked up at her.

"I haven't seen another spider bot around!" Area murmured, looking up at Blackarachnia with awe, making the older femme smile. "Have you not?" She asked, glancing at Araneon, who was staying slightly behind his sister, looking unsure of himself.

Motioning with her digit, Blackarachnia smiled at her mechling, cocking her helm and reaching out with her EM field, allowing him to sense her friendliness, the gentle, loving vibe, coaxing him in closer as she nodded in approval. "You're here with Airachnid." The black and gold femme stated, looking down at the sparklings.

"Airachnid takes care of us." Area stated confidently up to the femme she didn't realize was her carrier, shrugging. "She's the only other spider femme we know." She added.

Hearing Araneon mutter under his breath, Blackarachnia looked at the mech in interest now. "What did you say Araneon?" She asked, the mechling looking up at her with optics so like her sister's, shifting before he looked down at his pedes and spoke up, louder this time. "Our carrier didn't want us." He stated.

Blackarachnia stilled, looking down at the mechling, feeling a cruel servo crush her spark as she tried to comprehend what the little spider mech had stated so bluntly, frowning. "Who told you that, Araneon?" She asked softly, saddened.

Shifting from one pede to the other, Araneon glanced at his sister, then returned to staring at his pedes. "Airachnid."

 _(A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed it… Sorry it wasn't out sooner.)_


	3. Chapter 3

_(A/N: So. LOL. Here is chapter three! Phew! XD Hope you all enjoy it, and also, there is a challenge for you guys. "I am _, I have done terrible things, and I have no regrets." Whoever can guess who said that, and what movie/show it was in, I will write them a oneshot/short/long story of their choice. NOTE: If you have a story being done by me, you will not be able to win. Also, all guesses must be submitted to me through PM, comments on story will not count! ) Good luck.))_

 **Chapter 2: Troubled Beginnings**

Blackarachnia was still for several moments, unsure of the motives of her sister to keep the fact that she was the carrier of the sparklings from her own creations… How could Airachnid keep that fact from Area and Araneon? There must be a reason for it, so the femme remained silent and knelt down on one knee, placing a servo on the young mechling's shoulder, frowning. "Araneon… That's not at all true… If I… Knew your carrier well, she dearly loved you, and she would search all over the galaxy to find you again… You just might see her again one cycle." The black and gold femme offered the mechling a small smile.

Looking up at the femme above him, Araneon nodded once before averting his pale purple optics, Blackarachnia standing back up to her pedes and glancing over at Knockout, who looked uncomfortable but, thankfully, refrained from saying anything that would reveal her to be the carrier of the split spark twins.

Venting, the spider femme moved away from the twins and over to the tool tables, processor already working on different ways to make herself useful to her lord... As long as one kept their usefulness to Megatron, so could they keep their influence and place by the warlord's side... Of course, Blackarachnia had _many_ 'friends in high places' as the humans would say... Including Strika, Soundwave, Scylla and several others in the officer's ranks.

"What are you doing?"

The question pulled the femme out of her thoughts and her red optics turned onto two little faces peering up at her from the other side of a worktable, curiosity bright in their optics as they watched the 'new' femme study the tools, Knockout snorting from nearby. "That is what I'd like to know." He called, obviously attempting to keep his own curiosity out of his tone, and failing miserably, making the femme's fanged smile form over purple lip components. "Dear Doctor, I thought you would've known me by now." Blackarachnia purred seductively, the cherry red medic casting her a glare before turning away with a snort. "Fine! Don't tell me then." He responded with a sharp ex-vent.

Blackarachnia felt amusement as she looked down at Area and Araneon with a fanged smile. "I am considering what sort of weapon to create for Megatron." She responded to the sparkling's questions, feeling a brief flicker of hope that maybe _one_ of her sparklings would be interested in science as she had always been... But Araneon seemed to want to dash her hopes right away. "That's _boring_." The mechling huffed in annoyance while his sister frowned at him, her touchy temperament becoming clear as she swatted her younging sibling up the side of the helm, making him yelp. "That's _rude_ you son of a glitch!" The slender sparkling cried, glaring at her brother with narrowed red optics. "Say your sorry!"

Rubbing his helm, Araneon turned his pale purple optics up onto Blackarachnia before looking away with a muttered 'sorry', causing the femme Decepticon to frown deeply. "Area. Do not strike your brother." Blackarachnia ordered before glancing to Araneon then back to her daughter again. "Araneon will have his own interests. He needn't be forced into anything that he decides he doesn't want." The black and gold spider added in a soft, careful tone.

Unseen by Blackarachnia, Araneon cringed... He _was_ different... More different than many of the other Decepticons that he had been in contact with, and he harboured fear, guilt and shame within his young spark due to his differences that could not only bring harassment and discrimination, but possible punishment at the servos of his aunt, Airachnid... He shuddered and pushed the thoughts of his differences out of his helm. He mustn't _ever_ speak to anyone about it. No one could ever know!

Blackarachnia turned back to the table, thoughtfully. "I think that I'd like to create a photon cannon for the Nemesis. If not a null ray." She stated, intelligent red optics looking over the tools then back up to Knockout, who had his optics locked on Araneon, causing the black and gold femme to frown and turn to look at the young mechling whom had a far off look in his purple optics. As she watched, a shudder passed through the immature, bulky frame, causing Blackarachnia to become concerned. "Araneon?"

At the sound of his name, Araneon jumped and turned to look up at Blackarachnia, purple optics wide before his frame and facial expression settled. "What?" He asked, confused by the way the larger Decepticon was looking at him before he looked away quickly.

Understanding the gesture, Blackarachnia didn't inquire anymore on the mechling's strange behavior, and, instead, turned to draw up a chart about a null ray... It would need an incredible amount of energy to power, but it would be well worth it in combat against the damned Autobots. As she worked, Araneon and Area watched her curiously, optics round and intelligently watching every movement, every glyph that Blackarachnia recorded on a datapad.

Focused on her work, Blackarachnia didn't notice Airachnid's arrival to the medbay/lab until she spoke, aiming her obvious anger at the sparklings.

"What are you doing in here?"

Area and Araneon both jumped at the sound of their aunt's voice and they looked towards her with wide optics, surprise on their faceplates as they hung their helms... They hadn't told their aunt where they were going, and Airachnid was no doubt upset about this... She tended to get upset over such things, like when the sparklings ran off and didn't tell her where they went, or when they were in Megatron's company... Something that tended to worry the spider femme, although she made no hint towards that concern.

Blackarachnia frowned and looked over at her sister, who was glaring back at her angrily. "They are only watching." She stated calmly, straightening up as Airachnid snorted in amusement. "That's all anyone _can_ do when you're in charge, isn't it?" Airachnid responded sharply, causing a flare of anger and regret to pass through Blackarachnia, who vented and turned fully towards her sister, Area and Araneon watching with wide optics. "You never told them."

Taken aback, Airachnid was silent for several moments before she smirked widely at her sister. "They had no need to know." She responded calmly, both sparklings unsure of what to do now and moved away from the two femmes, Blackarachnia's EM field flaring slightly. Knockout looked about ready to run if things got messy as the mood in the medbay rapidly declined. "Now, why don't we all-" He tried, cutting himself off with a look from Airachnid.

"You always were the favourite, Blackarachnia." Airachnid murmured slowly, pale purple optics flashing aggressively. "Of our creators. Megatron. The scientists. You never could do any wrong to them, could you?" The black and gold femme glared at her sister angrily. "I'll make you regret that." She added, transforming to her spider form and pouncing onto Blackarchnia, who had time to transform as well before they crashed to the ground, both sparklings crying out in surprise and slight fear. Even if they were the sparklings of a decepticon, they both possessed the sparks and some personality of an Autobot.

Knockout was out of the room in moments, taking the sparklings with him, both splitting and running off before he could stop them, obviously frightened and confused by what was happening in the medbay, leaving the cherry red medic to vent and wait for the fight to die down alone.

 **/+/+/+/**

Area had fled from the scene of her aunt and creator fighting, frightened even though she wouldn't admit it to herself, and confused over the pre-fight conversation. She had abilities, like her mother, and due to her lack of control with them due to her young age, was running around invisible in her pain and fear. She phased through several of the Nemesis walls in search of her secret tutor...

The massive purple tank's only clue that his little ward had arrived was the soft grating sound and a shimmer in one of the walls, venting heavily, the large mech remained seated as he waited for the femmeling to calm down... Comforting her was an extremely delicate task, since being overly affectionate could be dangerous to his own health, he decided to wait and inquire in what had affected her usual mood when she had calmed some.

Area was angry and hurt at the fight she had witnessed... It was a _real_ fight, unlike when her teacher was training her how to fight, where they held back on blows and never tried to hurt one another. "T-Tarn." She whimpered, slowly becoming visible again as she rubbed furiously at her optics and began to calm down, the large DJD leader standing slowly and moving over to her. "And what has gotten you upset, Area?" The mech asked, voice giving comfort and a soothing sense to her spark as she was finally able to stop crying.

Looking up at Tarn, Area frowned deeply. "Airachnid was fighting with the new spider-femme." She explained, upsetting herself again, although the calming sensation caused by Tarn's voice kept her from getting worked up like earlier. "I-I don't understand why... They were trying to k-kill each other!" The femmeling insisted, Tarn remaining silent for several moments before speaking up again. "Your aunt and the other spider femme knew each other long ago, Area." The purple mech stated slowly, thoughtfully to not give more information than was necessary. "They did not get along well, so they are attempting to settle their differences once again." Tarn added as he moved away from the femme in the empty storage room where he trained her in secret... No one wanted either angry spider-femme to come down on their helm for training the sparkling femme to fight for the sole purpose of bringing her into the DJD when she came of age.

Crossing her arms, Area glared at Tarn's back. "I don't care! Airachnid and Blackarachnia are mean to each other!" The femme responded, her temper flaring at how dismissive her sire figure had been with her explanation. "And I don't like it!" She added firmly, Tarn's lips curling into a small, amused smile behind his mask as he turned back to the femme, knowing how to get rid of the tension, anger and frustration in her frame. "Everyone is... _'mean'_ to one another. It is a fact." Tarn responded, making his tone dismissive again.

Area, angry now, narrowed red optics at the massive tank and vanished from sight, Tarn raising his optical ridges as he waited and listened, EM field pulling in tightly around his frame as he attempted to find where the little femmeling had gone, listening for the patter of pedesteps or the sound of venting... Neither reached his audio receptors even when he dialed them up in an attempt to do so, humming in approval. "Very good, Area." Tarn rumbled, voice resonating with approval, although that would be the only praise she would get from him, and rarely as it already was.

Tarn waited for when the little femmeling would pounce, growling when something smashed into his backstruts, right at the base of it, where the weakest point was (as he had taught Area), and he grunted, slightly offbalance as she felt the femme kicking at the back of his knee joint in an attempt to bring him down.

Chuckling, the massive purple tank turned and he felt the little pede connect with the side of the joint, causing it to buckle and he lashed out at the now visible sparkling, drawing his back hand so that he smacked it against her side lightly, still sending her tumbling pede over helm.

"You're a cheater." Area growled as she struggled back up to her pedes, Tarn approaching and lifting her up in his arms. "There is no such thing as 'cheating'." The DJD leader informed the femmeling, who looked up at him curiously. "No one plays fair during a fight, dear Area." Tarn continued as he set the femmeling down again now that he was sure she wasn't injured. "Which is why you must never play fair either. You either save yourself, or fall at the servos of another. There is no alternative in a galaxy at war." Tarn explained, smiling behind his mask at the way those four red optics looked up at him so intelligently, drinking in his explanation as if it was high grade... Albeit, she was still too young for that. He would have to introduce her to the other DJD members soon, but of course, in secret to keep Airachnid and Blackarachnia from ripping him limb from limb... Spider femmes were protective, so he had learned from watching others... Make stupid mistakes.

 **/+/+/+/**

Araneon, after fleeing from the fight of the two femmes, one of which was the aunt that raised him, fear in his spark, the bulky mechling had used his spider appendanges to tap in a code for an empty room, stepping inside and making sure the door had locked behind him before he sank down to the ground on his aft, knees drawn up to his chin as he tried to keep from crying... He was better than this! Everything would be fine... Would it?

Shaking his helm at the thoughts that threatened to crush his already struggling spark, Araneon trembled... Why did he have to be different? Why did his aunt have to fight with the new femme?

The bulky mechling vented softly as he remained in the darkness, still and silent as he thought. He was _much_ different from others due to his mechuality... Unlike the majority of the population, where mechs bonded and interfaced with other femmes, Araneon found himself attracted to those of the same form... Mechs. If others found out, he was sure that he would be hated and harassed for this major difference... Knockout, he knew, was the same, flirting with other mechs more than femmes, and could possibly be classified as 'bisexual' in human terms, but Araneon was entirely attracted to mechs... Not the least bit of femmes.

Araneon vented softly as he mulled over this for several moments, as he did countless times a day... Knockout was the CMO of the Decepticons... Which gave him protection from harassment as no one would dare threaten their medic, who was not only an officer, but the mech that could be holding the life of an injured Decepticon at any time... But Araneon had no such assurance, being only a sparkling among dozens of other warriors... He was afraid to tell Airachnid, for fear that she might be angry and tell him he was stupid to think he loved other mechs, but it was _true._ And even just the thought of Airachnid being angry at him hurt.

"Why did you have to make me different, Primus?" Araneon sniffed in the darkness, shutting his pale coloured optics tightly and biting his lip as he huddled alone in the dark. "Wh-Why can't I be l-like this and everyone be o-ok with it?" He cried out, spark pulsing rapidly with his fear and grief. "I-I can't tell anyone unless... Unless they fear me." The bulky mechling paused, scrubbing at his optics with a servo as he attempted to grasp that train of thought... How could he make others fear him? That was something his aunt should be able to help with! And she'd probably be delighted to teach him how to have others fear him!

Feeling better now, Araneon huddled in the dark room which was quite large, small processor working to try and think of an occupation that could cause others to fear him... He could be a warrior? One of the best and Megatron's officers? Megatron _was_ good looking... And he admitted to himself that he had a crush on the massive warlord. Or maybe he could be something like Vortex had been before his destruction on Cybertron?

Araneon paused on that thought and smiled widely, fangs making it look intimidating and feral.

 **/+/+/+/**

The aftermath of the vicious battle between sisters was almost unbelievable. Knockout could only vent loudly in dismay, for the tenth time while he repaired the two, at the damages done to the medbay and any tools or objects that had been around. He hadn't bothered to listen in on their conversation as they fought, although he was sure that neither of them had been able to come out on top... He had been too busy complaining to Megatron about the fight to bother with anything else about the femmes as they tore apart his medbay.

Blackarachnia was silent where she stood in a corner, one of her spider appendages having to be reattachned and several weldmarks on her frame from where Knockout had repaired lacerations and bites... Airachnid was a little harder to repair, the femme sluggish and poisoned by her sister's venomous bites over her arms and one of her hip. "Seriously, Blackarachnia, couldn't you have spared me having to repair poisoned wounds?" Knockout complained loudly, the femme in the corner flashing him a fanged grin. "Her self repair will be enough. I didn't give her enough to seriously damage her... She'll just be sluggish and out of her processor for a while." Blackarachnid responded indifferently.

Glaring and venting in frustration, Knockout turned to look at Blackarachnia, servo on his hip plating as he frowned unhappily. "Regardless of who you are, Blackarachnia, this is _my_ medbay! You have no right tearing it apart in a petty fight with Airachnid!" The red mech cried, clearly agitated although it only amused the black and gold femme in the corner, red optics alight with amusement. "Calm down Knockout. You're just unhappy we weren't fighting over you." She purred in a seductive tone, causing Knockout to splutter in shock. "I'm no such thing!"

Turning on the heel of his pede, Knockout went to return to repair Airachnid, stopping short when he realized that the spider femme was gone... _How_ she had done that, he had absolutely _no clue_... He turned and looked at Blackarachnia with an accusatory glance, the femme shrugging. "I don't think you satisfied her Knockout." She stated, still teasing the mech and riling him up, Knockout looking both angry and horrified at her. "I could care less! Breakdown is the only one I care to satisfy!" The medic responded, crossing his arms over his chassis as Blackarachnia gave a smooth laugh.

"Talkin' about me?" Breakdown asked, coming into the room now with several cubes of synthetic energon, which immediately caught Blackarachnia's attention and she hummed softly in thought. "Synthetic, hmmm?" She purred, Knockout rolling his optics. "Yes, but that's _my_ project. You go and play with your little do-dad or whatever." He grunted, taking two of the cubes from Breakdown and carrying it over to another bench.

"Whatever you say, dear doctor."

 **/+/+/+/**

Aiarachnid was outside the medbay, listening silently with a leer on her faceplates, still slightly unsteady by the venom running it's course in her lines, and she moved away from the door, thinking of the sparklings and where they could've gotten off to... But more about escaping from her sister's presence on the Nemesis, and she growled softly.

 _Maybe I will just go back to Cybertron..._ Airachnid mused to herself thoughtfully as she walked passed a group of Vehicons that quickly looked away, not wanting to attract the obviously angry femme's attentions onto themselves. _I think that's what I will do... And take the sparklings with me._


	4. Differences

_(A/N: For Crystallax. I hope this cheers you up!)_

Blackarachnia wandered the darkened halls of the Nemesis, only the silence and occasional flickering of light her only companions. It didn't bother her. She was accustomed to doing everything on her own, and wasn't about to socialize. There was no need to. Her sparklings and sister were the only true reasons she had come. She was a loyal Decepticon, of course, and would see the war to it's end, but if she had located the remnants of her family in some distant galaxy light years away from the war, she would've been there at this very moment.

Venting softly, Blackarachnia's honed senses picked up on a soft, nearly indistinguishable, skittering sound from nearby. Coming to a standstill, vents closed off from making any sort of noise, the spider-femme finally heard the sound again, coming from the doors that led out onto the flight bridge. Curious.

Light reflected off gold as Blackarachnia made her way over to the doors, pedesteps soft and nearly silent as she stalked the sounds until she was standing before the doors, allowing them to slide open. She was fully aware that whatever lay outside could now see her clearly, but this unfazed her. The sound would always be familiar to her.

"Airachnid."

The silhouette near the edge of the flight deck shifted, pink optics shining softly in the harsh darkness around them as Blackarachnia approached her sister, EM field neutral as she came to a stop alongside the other.

Airachnid cast a long glance at her sister, a small flash of fangs the only telling response to her sister's unexpected arrival before she transformed back to bipedal mode. "I do not want your company here." She hissed, breaking the tense silence between them.

Venting softly, Blackarachnia turned to fully face the other, red optics as hard as her faceplates were schooled of emotions. "Why didn't you tell them."

It wasn't a question, more a demand, and that made Airachnid angry. Spinning towards the black and golden femme, Airachnid stepped directly into her sister's space, denta bared aggressively. "For all they know, you were dead. All they needed to know was that _I_ am the one that cared for them. _I_ am the one that got them off of a dead planet! You were too busy with your sciences to bother!"

Blackarachnia's armour flared aggressively as she leaned in close to Airachnid. "You never intended for me to find them. You wanted to hurt me, so you took my children." The four-opticed femme hissed, her own fangs flashing occasionally. "For millennia I had hoped you took them to protect them. Took them because you _cared_. But you only wanted to hurt me." She snarled out, anger peeking out from beneath the cracks of her usually collected demeanor.

Airachnid pulled back with a laugh. "I've always wanted to make you pay. For humiliating me, stripping me of my rights to experiment." The femme responded coldly, pink optics bright with anger. "But I would never take that out on the twins." She added, voice venomous and full of hatred.

Though taken aback by the anger and hatred in her sister's tone, Blackarachnia was most surprised to see the flicker that passed through the pink optics, buried beneath layers of anger, hate and bitterness… Hurt. Airachnid was _hurt_.

"And for the record," Airachnid continued, arms crossed tightly in front of her chassis. "If I wanted to hurt you through Area and Araneon, I would've killed them a long time ago." The femme stated coldly before turning and taking her leave, vanishing into the bowels of the warship.

Venting softly, Blackarachnia turned away, looking up into the night sky of the primitive planet their war had taken refuge on, trying to process. She had known that Airachnid was hurt, but getting through to her sister was going to be harder than she had initially thought. Millennials of anger and resentment had built up into an impenetrable wall, but the conversation had further reinforced her first plan… Only Area and Araneon would be able to get through to her sister.

 **+/+/+/**

Araneon's little servos were clasped in front of him as he stood in the medbay doorway, his insectile winglets slipping from their sheaths and then retracting as another sign of his nervousness.

Bright purple optics followed the movements of the two larger mechs, Breakdown playfully teasing Knockout, the cherry red medic giving him a coy grin and responding with a sultry tone, one hip stuck out in what any older mech would deem seductive.

It was Araneon's own fears about himself, and… Certain aspects of himself that he didn't fully understand yet. He, he felt like there was a ball constricting his spark, and it would sometimes be cold, and other times hot… Like he fought an internal struggle that he was confused about it's real meaning.

Turning his attentions back onto the two mechs currently inhabiting the medbay, Araneon blinked in surprise. Everyone knew that the two mechs were "involved" with each other, but the sparkling had never truly seen someone kiss… At least not like that.

Breakdown noticed the sparkling first, faceplates flushing as he pulled away from his younger lover, golden optics wide as he seemed at a loss of what to say.

"Oh, uh, Araneon! Does your, er, aunt know where you are?" The big blue brute asked, a servo rubbing the back of his helm as he seemed to be looking everywhere but the curious little sparkling intently watching from the doorway.

"No." Araneon answered, cocking his helm, a contemplative look on his faceplates. "What's that feel like?" He asked, causing Knockout to laugh while Breakdown looked to be stuck between bewilderment and embarrassment. "Oh, why, uh-"

"Feels good, Araneon. Learn from the master, hmm?" Knockout winked, causing a rare smile to break out across the smaller spider's face, little fangs peeking out from between his lips as he nodded. "Now, what can I do for you?"

At Knockout's question, Araneon was reminded to the purpose of his visit, and his own faceplates flushed darkly. "I, um, I wanted to ask you some… stuff." He stammered, glancing at Breakdown and then back at Knockout.

"Oh did you now?" Knockout asked curiously, casting a glance at Breakdown then back at the sparkling. "What about?"

The youngling shuffled his pedes nervously, unsure of himself now that he was standing here. Out of all the mechs on board the Nemesis, Knockout was the most appropriate to speak to about his... Condition? Because it was a condition wasn't it? That's what the other mechs said, that one mech liking another was wrong, and he had heard stories of what happened to those mechs... He wanted it fixed, or maybe learn how to embrace it like Knockout clearly did. Knockout was flamboyant in such things.

"Araneon?" Knockout asked, cocking his helm to one side as he studied the nervous sparkling before glancing at Breakdown, the behemoth understanding the silent gesture and leaving the room.

The red mech chuffed a vent as he gave the younger mech his signature smile. "Now. Why don't you ask me what you want to ask?" The medic stated in a cheerful tone.

Araneon looked up at the medic and shifted uncomfortably again. "I-I..." A little fang peaked out from between his lips as he worried his lower lip with his denta. "I like mechs!" The sparkling finally blurted, looking up at the medic. Regardless of Knockout being known as a "gay" mech, for lack of a better term, Araneon expected to be ridiculed and laughed at, like Knockout had been in the very beginning before being acknowledged as the Decepticon CMO. Knockout's rank protected him, but Araneon? He was a young mech with absolutely no such assurances.

The medic blinked at the sudden admittance, looking down at Araneon. The poor mechling was looking up at him with wide, frightened optics, the beginnings of tears welling up in them, EM field a swirl of despair, fear and hope.

Araneon waited, waited for Knockout to laugh, to tell him that he was sick, to work on getting a cure, completely forgetting that Knockout was the exact same. Then... Then Knockout smiled widely.

"Araneon! That's nothing to be ashamed about!" Knockout kept his tone gentle but comforting, pulling the younger mech into his side as he pulled a chair closer for the shivering mechling.

The young spider-mech felt tears finally leak out of his optics as his EM swelled with relief. "I-I thought you'd l-laugh." Araneon sniffled.

Knockout frowned deeply as he had the youngling sit in the seat he had pulled close to them. "Why would I laugh? You saw Breakdown and myself only a few kliks ago?" The medic asked, slightly confused though he tried his best to keep his expression neutral so as not to frighten or hurt the young mech sitting before him.

Araneon nodded, optical ridges knitting together as he shifted in place, a little hiccup making it's way to the surface as he searched for something to say in response. "Y-Yes, but the o-other mechs. They s-say terrible things a-about a mech liking m-mechs, or a femme liking f-f-femmes." The mechling stammered out, his digits twisting together in his nervousness.

Understanding dawned and Knockout vented softly. Araneon most likely overheard what the other officers and grunts said about mechs like himself and now the mechling. It frustrated the medic to no end that someone would be made ashamed of themselves just because a bot couldn't keep his opinions to himself. "Araneon, what they say is WRONG."

Looking up at the medic, Araneon frowned, confused. "I-I thought being l-like this was wrong?" He asked, unsure of himself now. "Th-that you have to b-be fixed?"

Knockout huffed loudly, shaking his helm. " _No_ Araneon, this is _not_ wrong." The medic stated firmly, placing a servo on a small shoulder strut, looking the mech straight into his purple optics. "What is wrong is the mechs you heard making judgments on things they cannot understand. Yes, we are different, Araneon, but so is your aunt and Blackarachnia. They are a form of techno-organic."

Still tense, Araneon struggled to understand what Knockout was trying to convey to him. "My aunt likes femmes?" He asked, his confusion clear on his faceplates if not in his field.

The medic gave a small chuckle and shook his helm. "No, Araneon. I'm saying that she has _organic_ CNA... Or DNA, I think it's called?" Knockout looked thoughtful before shaking that thought out of his processor... For now. "That is different. Does that mean she needs to be fixed?" He asked, the mechling seeming to understand now. "No. You liking another mech is like a mech liking swords when the majority prefer guns. Nothing wrong with that, just a different preference. Are you understanding me?"

Araneon nodded, the fear ebbing slightly as he looked up at the bigger mech. "I-I heard terrible stories of what happened to mechs like me... Like you. But no one would touch you because you're the chief medic."

The cherry red mech vented heavily, rubbing a servo over his faceplates. "Yes, but it wasn't always like that. I used to be just a grunt that knew a little something about medicine. Breakdown was only a wrecker in the Autobots. We both had a rough start of things, but things are different for YOU Araneon." Knockout stated gently, offering a small smile. "Things are changing. Most mechs are beginning to understand that this is normal."

The young mech nodded, relieved now. "Really? They won't laugh at me?" He asked, hopefulness tinging his tone.

Knockout vented softly. "Well, Araneon. Someone will always be there to laugh. Just like the Autobot Bumblebee, there will always be someone that teases or laughs at him for his voicebox, don't you think?" The Decepticon asked. "But where one laughs, there will be many others that will understand and be ok with it."

Nodding slowly, Araneon allowed himself to relax in the company of the older mech. "Yeah... I get it." He answered slowly, shifting carefully. "But what if the mech I like hates someone like me?" The spider-mech asked. "What do I do then?"

Humming softly in thought, Knockout carefully considered his answer. "Then he's the one losing out. You can't change someone like that, because they are too close-minded, as the humans say. Just like we can't change ourselves, because it's who we truly are. Understand?"

Araneon nodded, relief colouring his field as he smiled up at the red medic. "Yeah... Thanks Knockout." The mechling smiled in relief, the medic snorting and rubbing his helm teasingly. "Anytime. Anything else you need?" Knockout asked just as Breakdown peeked into the room to see if it was alright to come back in, doing so when neither mech currently residing in the room seemed uncomfortable to his presence.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you could... If you had datapads on being a medic? I just wanted to look at them." The youngling stated, swinging his pedes in renewed nervousness as Knockout just laughed. "I have some of my old texts if you'd like." The medic stated with a grin, moving over to one of the cupboards, the door slipping aside once the cherry medic got within a close enough distance.

Knockout rummaged through the different datapads, coming up with 3 of his old documents before returning to where the mechling sat, literally on the edge of his seat. "If you have any questions, you can ask Breakdown or myself, alright?"

At Araneon's eager nod, the medic handed the datapads to the young mech, jerking his helm towards to door and offering a smile. "Off you go now."

Araneon scampered for the door, stopping only when Knockout called his name, glancing back at the medic. "Remember. Someone will always be there to laugh. But there will always be others that understand." The medic stated in a serious, gentle tone, the young spider-like mech nodding eagerly before scampering on out.

"What was that about?" Breakdown asked softly as the light pedesteps slowly vanished down the hall like wind.

"Just a young mech confused about his orientation." Knockout responded, frame slightly tensed as he glared up at Breakdown. "I'm sick of the younglings having ideas forced into their helms by those who don't know any better."

Understanding dawned on the red faceplates and Breakdown vented softly. "He's like us then?" He asked. "Poor mech. Most of the mechs around here..." He shrugged, aware that Knockout knew exactly what he meant.

Knockout nodded, venting. "I'm just glad he decided to talk to me about it and not someone else... Like Airachnid."

Breakdown cringed. "Yeah... He wants to be a medic too?" The ex-wrecker changed the subject, his companion frowning faintly. "I'm not sure... Maybe just curiosity? If he does, we could use another medic." He responded, casting Breakdown a playful grin. "Especially with you wrecking more than you can fix." He purred, the blue mech smirking at him. "Want me to prove just what else I'm good at wrecking?" He demanded, the red medic humming in amusement. "Do your worst."


	5. Learning

"So what should you do if a mech got magnesium phosphate in their optics?" Knockout asked patiently, watching the mechling sitting at the desk look thoughtful as he began to flip through his datapads in search of something that would help him with his response.

Araneon smiled when he found a couple pages on that exact topic. "You're supposed to determine the damage first." The mechling responded calmly, flipping through a few more pages before adding, "but if it goes too deep into the socket you have to replace all of the fine circuitry and optics. If the phosphate doesn't go too deeply into the optical socket the circuitry could be saved." The bulky mech finished, looking up at his teacher for approval.

Humming in approval, Knockout offered a small smile and nodded after a moment. "Correct, Araneon. Well done." The cherry red medic stated, loving the way the younger mech's purple optics lit up with excitement at the praise. "Now what are the conditions that can be caused by magnesium phosphate in the optics?" Knockout prodded for more detail.

Frowning slightly, Araneon struggled to recall the information by memory, wanting to do it without the help of the datapads in front of him. "Loss of sight, whether temporary or permanent, until optics can be replaced. Loss of balance, since it's too close to the mecha's equilibrium processor. Helmaches and sometimes rust if the wound is left too long." Araneon finished proudly, looking up at Knockout with a cheeky little grin.

Snorting in amusement, Knockout rubbed a servo over the black helm, chuckling. "Perfect, Araneon. I'm impressed." The racer stated with a big smile, Breakdown grinning from where he sat a little ways away. "Maybe if you keep practicing, Araneon," the blue mech spoke up now, "you could take over medbay so KO and I can escape for a few joors."

Araneon giggled at the way Knockout cast a flustered glare towards his conjunx. "Breakdown, if you begin with your subtle seductions again I swear to primus I will throw you out the waste shute!" The medic attempted to sound angry, but only came across as embarrassed, something Araneon didn't see often in the bigger mech.

"Alright, KO, alright!" Breakdown responded with a laugh, holding his servos up in a defensive gesture. "Just throttle it back a bit." He added with a wink to Araneon, the black mechling grinning and returning the gesture.

"Slaggers, the both of you!" Knockout responded, though his tone held a sort of fondness to it. "You keep studying, Araneon and I'll help you with some of the harder terms next time, alright?" The racer asked, turning his attention onto the smaller mech who nodded. "Now keep up the good work and I'll be able to take you on once you're old enough."

"And if ol' Megs gives the ok." Breakdown teased from where he sat, Knockout rolling his optics. "Of course he would! He'd enjoy having three medics to work to deactivation!"

Araneon hopped down from his seat, datapads safely in subspace before he left the room with a parting goodbye and a wave that the two older mechs returned. He loved spending time with Knockout and Breakdown. It was like having a sire...

 **+/+/+/**

Araneon slipped off from the medbay to his quarters, shared with his sister and aunt. There was a small room when you first walked in, fitted with a couch and an energon expenser, two doors leading into separate rooms, one for Airachnid and the remaining one shared by himself and Area. Megatron had obviously felt obliged to give Airachnid more than she deserved due to the sparklings she was caring for.

Humming softly to himself, Araneon walked through the door into his room, hopping up onto his mini-bot sized berth. "Huh." The youngling grunted as he flopped onto his backstruts and activated one of the datapads, cocking his helm. The Cybertronian glyphs looked to be simple enough to read, though he was certain there would be medi... medically hard terms. Those he could ask Knockout about.

Recalling the kind medic, Araneon smiled faintly, relief tinging his field as he relaxed in the comfort of his berth. Nothing was wrong with him... That was the biggest relief he could've ever hoped to be given. Liking mechs was ok! He didn't have to try and force himself to like or find the femme's attractive. He recalled the many times he had stared at images of femmes inside his old childhood books and a few of the datapads that featured different frame types, attempting to force himself to find an attraction to them... Now, now he could stare at images of mechs, or even mechs aboard the Nemesis and not feel guilty.


	6. Aggressions

Area vented heavily as she stood, arms ready in front of her, pedes spread apart in a well-practiced stance. Defensive. She HATED being on the defensive! Tarn, however, insisted she learn both the arts of offense as well as defense. As 'one cannot work without the other' the tank frequently proclaimed.

"Very good." Tarn hummed in approval as he leaned back against the wall, both supporting himself as well as finding small comfort in leaning, red optics studying the young femmeling before him. Area had progressed, much faster than most of the other DJD members. Equal maybe with Kaon, but Vos had learned the fastest of them all. Faster than Tarn himself.

The tank remembered the cycle he had learned Airachnid had arrived on the Nemesis with twin sparklings in tow. His interest had been peaked in that fact. Twins. Usually formidable forces when fighting side by side, though his studies had proven that hope vacant. Area and Araneon were both different in more ways than one, and from what he could see, they were not split-sparks. Did not share emotion or feeling through a bond forged while connected to their carrier's spark. So he had studied both as separate candidates, searching for the one more suitable to integrate into the DJD ranks. Araneon, he had found, though his bulk promised great strength, he was too much of an Autobot at spark. Area had been proven to be the more violent of the too, but alert and intense. The perfect candidate. Lithe, like Vos, but intelligent like Kaon... or even he himself.

"What do you mean _good_?" Area cried, lowering her arms to glare up at her massive tutor, though her pose remained alert and ready to dart away should Tarn choose to attack again. _Good girl_. The tank hummed inwardly as the youngling ranted on. "I kicked your aft! It was _better_ than _good!_ "

Humming in amusement, Tarn pushed away from the wall and towered above the femme, noticing the way she fought with taking a submissive pose or keeping her enraged one. She chose the latter, an interesting concept in the tanks processors. She would have to be tamed, though not through violence like Tesarus and Helex had needed. More respect, like Kaon. If she respected him, she would obey him. "It was good." Tarn responded firmly, cutting the spider-femme off from continuing her little rage. "And could do with a good deal of improvement."

Area glared up at the mech above her, arms crossing firmly over her little chassis as her optics narrowed. "Then what needs improving?" She growled, though her armour plating had settled down and was no longer puffed outwards in an aggressive way.

"You need to focus more on what you can and cannot do... The better points. Finesse." Tarn responded, vocals calming and eloquent. "You are a lithe frame type. Lightly armoured. You were created for speed, for silence and to be deadly as a spy or assassin." The tank paused for a moment to make sure Area was soaking the information in. She was, as always. Another fact that never ceased to please him. "You were not built for strength, as you constantly seem to believe. You're frame cannot take a hit like Helex or Tesarus can. You are like Vos. Though no less deadly than myself."

The youngling frowned and cocked her helm. "What makes you think I cannot get an upgrade? Be bulkier and stronger?" She demanded. This was a game Tarn was familiar with, she was challenging him, wanting him to explain every aspect about an observation he had made. This time, he chose to oblige. "You were made for stealth and speed. Why do you think you were born with the ability to make yourself unseen without the aid of a cloaking device? Phase through objects without a relic?" Tarn demanded calmly. "That is only the abilities we know of. But if you were meant for strength, you would've been born as such."

Area was silent for several moments, lithe silver digits tracing glyphs into her arm as she considered the statement. "And these are small enough to fit through gaps in an enemy's plating." She finally stated, flicking the tip of one of her spider-like legs, the tank nodding once. "Exactly."

Huffing loudly the black and gold femme canted a hip outwards as she looked up at her teacher. "I can still kick your aft." She responded, though her tone held none of the venom it had carried moments before.

"Perhaps." Tarn responded, glancing at his chronometer before looking back down at the small femmeling. "For now, you should focus on getting your aft to a washrack before you are discovered." The purple mech stated, unsubspacing a datapad and handing it to Area. "Until we meet again, I want you to study this. This is the more... Severe details of what a job with me would entail. Consider carefully."

Taking the datapad with eagerness, Area nodded, optics taking on a rare shine. A shine more often seen in her brother than anybot else. "I will put it all to memory." She responded, dipping her little helm before vanishing from the DJD leader's sight and scampering from the room.

 **+/+/+/**

Araneon was wandering down the hall towards his family's berthrooms, his EM field lazily brushing outwards in lazy contentment when he felt a flicker of cold pass him. Area. The mechling was the only one that could sense his sister when she was invisible.

Concerned as to why his sister would be hiding, Araneon followed the cold trail to their room, the door sliding open so that his optics fell on the sight of his sister exiting their room and making for the washracks. Something that wouldn't have bothered him, had it not been for the... "Area?"

The black and gold helm jerked up at her brother's voice, Area studying him for several moments before scowling. "What do you want?" She snapped, crossing her arms as her brother stared at her dented and bleeding frame.

Araneon nearly stumbled over himself to get to his sister's side, purple optics wide with horror. "Wh-what...? Who?" He stammered out, reaching a servo for one of the wounds closest to him, on Area's side. It was deeper than the others, and still leaking lazily.

"What the frag do you think you're doing!" Area shouted, slapping her brother's servo aside, glaring up at him. "Don't touch me!"

Blinking in surprise, Araneon glanced at his servo then the scowl his sister's faceplates. "What happened, Area? Who hurt you?" He demanded again, attempting to reach for the lither bot, Area baring her denta at him this time, little fangs flashing.

"It isn't any of your business now, is it?" Area snarled, turning to enter the washracks.

Rage overcame Araneon, rage like he had truly never felt before, and he grabbed his sister's wrist, hard enough for the light armouring to creak, before jerking her towards him. The mech's faceplates drew in close to Area's surprised ones, his own denta bared now. "Who. Touched. You." He hissed, enunciating each word with a flash of fangs.

Area stared at her bulkier twin for several moments, taking in the bared denta, the flared armour... The way his usually violet-coloured optics had darkened to a near purply-black before twisting her wrist away and placing a kick to Araneon's chassis, sending him stumbling backwards against the couch. "You touch me again, Araneon, I'll frag your frame up so bad Airachnid won't even know who you are!" She shouted, spider-like legs flaring out at her back in a threatening way before she turned away and stalked into the washracks.

Araneon remained where he had fallen, optics wide as he tried to figure out what had happened. Area was hurt, but why did he grab her like that? The mechling lifted shaking servos, staring at them as if they held the answers to his question. "F-Frag." He choked, clenching his fists tightly and shutting his optics as he tried to push the anger and swirl of hate and need for violence somewhere in the very back of his processor, not relaxing until he no longer felt such urges. The frag was wrong with him?

Glancing at the washrack doors, Araneon's concern deepened. What had happened to AREA?

Only a few megakliks had passed before Area exited the washracks again, cleaned up and looking like nothing had happened. "A-Area? I'm sorry I grabbed you... I don't know why-"

"Whatever, Araneon!" Area snapped, glaring at him as she headed for their shared berthroom. "If you grab me like that again, I'll-I'll..." The lithe twin cut herself off and only glared at him before turning away and vanishing into their room, leaving a frightened and confused mechling out on the couch.

Araneon sat in shocked silence for several moments... He wouldn't tell Airachnid. He couldn't! Area would be upset, and he didn't want her to be more upset at him than she already was!

Venting, Araneon glanced down at his shaking servos again. Perhaps Knockout could understand what was happening to him... What was he THINKING? Of course he couldn't tell Knockout about this! He couldn't tell anyone. At least... At least not yet.

Maybe he could figure it out by himself?

Araneon pulled one of the medical datapads from subspace, settling back to flip through it in search of some virus that might cause angry bouts and violent tendencies. After only a few moments, however, Araneon was thoroughly engrossed in the delicate procedure of repairing servos.

And he totally forgot what he had been looking for.


	7. Outliers

Airachnid was greatly troubled... Araneon was easy to keep track of, the mechling spending most of his time in his berthroom or the medbay with Knockout and Breakdown. Not something she completely approved of, but she preferred it to Area. Ever since Area had discovered her ability to conceal herself from sight, or become invisible, she had been difficult to track. Near impossible, really, and that _bothered_ Airachnid. Where did Area go when she decided she no longer wanted to be seen? WHO did she visit?

Walking calmly down the halls of the Nemesis, Airachnid considered confronting Blackarachnia. Her sister probably knew more about Area than she herself did, the femmeling was, after all, _her_ daughter... But there was the fact that Blackarachnia was also a scientific phenomenally, and could possibly devise a device that could track the invisible youngling.

Growling lowly, Airachnid dismissed those thoughts. She would _never_ need her sister's help! Her scienctific abilities were considerable, and if she truly cared about where Area went off to in her spare time, she could demand an answer from the young femme herself... But Area had always been the one that concerned her the most, though she'd never admit to such trivial feelings. Area was the more violent, devious, of the twins while Araneon was the more gentle... _Autobot_ of the two.

Airachnid vented softly to herself. Things had been FINE until Blackarachnia showed up, now the younglings seemed to be drawn to the femme they thought was their aunt. Most likely the carrier-creation bond drawing the three to each other, though Area wasn't found with the scientist as much as Araneon was. It was so "mysterious" in every sense of the word, and Airachnid wanted to get down to what Area was doing.

And who she was seeing.

 **+/+/+/**

"I've read them."

Tarn looked up from where he sat at his desk in the bowels of the Nemesis. A room supplied to him by his Lord, should there ever be a time for the DJD commander to need it. It was only used as his cover for when he met Area outside of combat training, and secret. No one knew of it, save himself, his team, Megatron and the youngling before him. Possibly Soundwave as well, but the spy hadn't brought up the young femme to either him nor Megatron. Else he'd hear about it.

"Did you now?" Tarn leaned back in his seat casually, watching the femmeling through crimson optics. "And what did you learn from it?" He questioned.

A smirk spread over the sparkling's faceplates. "Kaon is a fool." She stated, though there was a hint of humor in her tone.

Tarn raised his optical ridges, something hidden behind his mask, as all his other expressions. Most might say that the sparkling had always been sweet until Tarn came along, had they known of his influence, but that was not the case. Tarn had seen the aggression and violent tendencies in the sparkling, and merely... _guided_ it. "And whoever told you Kaon wrote it?" The tank asked.

Area's grin widened. "The way it's written is… Different than any other datapad I've read before. It's like comparing a science script with a fictional. The… _Voice_ is different." The femmeling looked thoughtful. "And Kaon is sophisticated in how he talks, like you, but… Different." She stated.

Nodding slightly, Tarn hummed in thought. "You are correct in your assumptions. Kaon did write it, to help teach Vos when we first took him under our wing. But what brings you to the assumption he is a fool?" The purple mech asked curiously, helm cocking. Kaon was the only other member of the DJD that had met Area, when she had been much younger, and from what he had seen the two shared a bond.

"Because he's _wrong_." Area responded, sounding exasperated as she tossed the datapad up onto Tarn's desk. "His procedure. Fear only works on certain bots, perhaps for the cowards and traitors you guys hunt down. But what if it was someone like Shockwave? Or Soundwave? Neither of them are capable of _feeling_. You can't scare a mech that can't feel."

Tarn was silent for several moments, studying the youngling at his side. "And what makes you believe that Soundwave or Shockwave will turn against the cause?" He demanded in a neutral tone.

Snorting, Area rolled her optics. "You're missing my point. _If_ they got cold feet, you can't scare them. You'd need a different tactic." She explained.

Leaning forward now, interest peaking slightly, Tarn tilted his helm to the side. "And just what would you do if they did? If I tasked you with questioning them, how would you go about it?" He demanded.

Area grinned widely. "Soundwave shares a bond with his simbiotes. Not as strong as a spark bond, but not as close as a creator-creation one either." The femmeling moved her servos in a cutely expressive way. She was obviously excited to share her thoughts. "But if manipulating that couldn't work, what of his sensitivity to sound?"

Intelligent. More intelligent than Tarn had ever expected… _Good_. "Elaborate for me, Area." The tank ordered in a firm tone. Just _how_ intelligent?

"Soundwave has increased sensitivity to different frequencies due to all of the enhancements he has as an Communications Officer. He is able to pick up on pretty much anything." Area paused. "But how would he fare in a small, dark room emitting high-frequencies?"

Tarn rumbled in encouragement. "And Shockwave?"

"Shockwave," Area continued, optics bright with excitement. "Cares only about science. A mech like Shockwave doesn't _have_ loyalties. Just science. Facts." The spiderling paced back and forth a little faster now, seemingly in thought. "Shockwave doesn't care what happens to anyone else, so there is no leverage against him. Unless you keep him from his work. Shockwave would be honest if ever questioned, and wouldn't care about anything so long as he could have what he wanted."

Tarn nodded, understanding where his protege was going with this. "Which is?" He asked, wanting the femmeling to come to all of the conclusions herself.

The black and gold youngling grinned up at her mentor. "The freedom to experiment as he wishes. Undisturbed. Regardless of "moral reasons". Let him experiment on anything and everything." Area stated, smirking and crossing her arms, one hip tilted outwards. "So there. That's why Kaon is a fool." The young femme grinned widely, obviously in humour. "He thinks that only _pain_ and _fear_ can break a mech. There are, in fact, many ways."

Area waited for a response from her teacher, unsure of whether or not she would get any praise from the massive mech currently sitting in silence, staring down at her.

Then he clapped, slow, deliberate claps. Three times, to be precise, but it was enough to know that she had impressed him.

"I'm _impressed_ , Area." Tarn rumbled, his smile hidden behind the mask he had forged so long ago. "Truly, you will be more of an improvement to my team than I had first thought."

Area snorted up at her teacher. "You know your little spark-tricks don't work on me." She stated, helm tilting upwards in a slightly… _Defiant_ way. She had confidence, but she was also bold. Tarn wouldn't hurt her and she knew it, using that to her advantage. As she should.

"Does it not?" Tarn asked in sarcastic amusement, turning away and going through the datapads scattered across the desk top to pick one up. "I have done some studies of my own, Area, and I have discovered something quite interesting."

The youngling perked up at that statement, straightening a little and her crossed arms loosening slightly.

"It's about your powers."

Area's red optics widened as she glanced from her teacher to the datapad, hesitantly taking it. "What about them?" She asked, servos shaking slightly, though not of fear. She had alwasy wondered where her strange powers had come from.

"You are like me, Area."

The youngling's optics widened even more.

"You are an _Outlier._ "


	8. Newcomers

Newcomers were arriving today, and Araneon huffed loudly in protest as he followed Airachnid down the halls of the warship, Area at his side. And, from what he could teek from her field, she was none the happier about it either.

Airachnid, as an officer, though not as high ranking as she had been before Blackarachnia's arrival, was expected to make an appearance when they welcomed the new arrivals. So Area and Araneon were expected to appear alongside their aunt and the other officers, regardless of being rankless.

"There will be younglings like you two." Airachnid was speaking in a gentler tone that she reserved for the twins and no other. She might be thought of as cold and ruthless, but she _did_ care for the younglings she had been raising in her sister's stead… Even if she was certain Blackarachnia only wanted to take them from her. "I expect you both to be welcoming."

Area muttered something under her vents in response, causing Araneon to glance sidelong at her. Ever since Area had easily broken his grip that one cycle, he had felt his self-confidence diminish. If his sister, thinner and nowhere near as strong as himself, was able to get out of his grip so easily… What could he truly do?

"Area." Airachnid spoke in a firm voice, her tone now holding an edge to it as she turned to regard the younglings. "If you have a complaint, why don't you say it?"

Holding his vents, Araneon glanced between his aunt and sister, spark pulsating nervously. He didn't like fights or arguments, but when they were between family members? He hated them even _more_.

Area stared up at her aunt in defiance, arms crossed tightly over her chassis. "I've got better things to do than sit around with _younglings_!" She responded, EM field fluxuating with anger and frustration.

Silence fell for several moments, causing unease to settle in Araneon's field as he waited for the explosion, Airachnid and Area to both start shouting at each other… Airachnid had never hit them, well, that's not true, but she never _truly_ hurt them.

Airachnid leaned in close to Area, studying the femmeling in silence for several moments before speaking again. "Maybe you should tell me where it is you go, Area." The spider femme spoke slowly, optics intensely studying the defiance in her niece… Area had definitely seemed more angry and aggressive lately. "Where it is you wander off to with your little invisibilty?"

A scowl darkened Area's faceplates as she lifted her chin in defiance. "That's no one's business." She responded angrily. "I'm sick of everyone treating me like a youngling! You don't even _want_ me here, do you?"

The comment took both Araneon as well as his aunt by surprise, both staring at the femmeling with wide optics.

"Area! Of _course_ I want you here!" Airachnid spoke first, falling silent as two Vehicons passed by, the grunts never casting a glance at the spider-femme and her two wards. "If I didn't want you here, why should I care where it is you go off to?" She asked, her voice strained.

 _This is exactly how Blackarachnia will take them from you._ A little voice whispered in the back of Airachnid's processor. _They'll think you hate them, then she'll act all sweet with them until they run off to her side._

Airachnid vented softly, reaching out for Area and stopping when the sparkling jerked away. The action caused the Decepticon's spark to clench, but she made no sign of how upsetting Area's reaction was.

"Area… You _are_ a youngling." Airachnid finally spoke, frowning faintly. "And I'm your caretaker. So please, just come and see the newcomers, then you can go off and… Do whatever it is you wish to do."

The femmeling narrowed red optics up at her aunt, frowning deeply. "Fine. But I don't need them, and they better not get in my face, cause I'll drop those fraggers." Area responded, stalking down the hall towards the main hangar.

Araneon huffed a sigh and looked up at his aunt, disturbed by the conflicted look on the elder's faceplates. "Come Araneon." Airachnid spoke again, motioning for the bulky mechling to follow her as she headed off after Area.

The young mech kept step with his aunt as they reached the hangar doors and entered the room, the other Decepticons already waiting.

"Ah, Airachnid." Megatron approached when he caught sight of the lieutenant. "Starscream has informed me of something of interest. His young are coming from an old airbase on Rhodion, where he had sent them for training alongside other seekers." The warlord's engines rumbled as he cast Araneon a glance, "but the base was overtaken by a virus, one that is unfamiliar to it's inhabitants. Hence, Starscream is bringing his seekerlets here to protect them from the plague, and where he can continue their training."

Araneon looked up at his aunt, the black and gold femme looking thoughtful as she watched her leader. "But?" She finally spoke, seemingly interested in what the warlord needed from her.

Megatron straightened up a little more. "They may be contaminated. I want them confined and you, Knockout, Shockwave and Blackarachnia checking them over for the virus. If you find it, I want a cure."

Raising an optical ridge, Airachnid gave that coy smile of hers. "Are Shockwave and my sister not enough, my lord?"

Araneon shuddered when the massive warframe growled lowly, looming over the two spider-bots. "I want it found _quickly_." Megatron rumbled, tone menacing. "And with you and Knockout aiding Blackarachnia and Shockwave, we can find it before we have a plague aboard _my_ warship."

A flash of anger and resentment tainted Airachnid's EM field as she narrowed her pink optics up at the Decepticon leader. "As you wish." She responded, tone silky smooth, but Araneon could sense the subtle defiance.

Just like that, Megatron was gone, leaving Araneon alone alongside his aunt, the youngling shifting from pede to pede, obviously nervous.

"Don't fidget, Araneon." Airachnid snapped, looking down at her ward and noticing the way he quickly tensed up and nodded, venting. "I am needed elsewhere, Araneon. It will be your job to look after your sister." The spider-femme ordered before she turned away and _left_.

Araneon frowned at the sudden departure but the sound of jet turbines reached his audials, taking his attention away from the situation on hand to watch as a group of 9 seekers came into sight with Starscream in the lead.

Curiosity immediately overcame concern as Araneon pushed a little closer to take in the sight.

Starscream transformed before Megatron, a grim expression on his faceplates. "My lord." He spoke in his usual tone, but it held zero of his usual condescending and sarcasm as he turned to the others that had transformed behind him.

"My seekerlets," Starscream motioned to the only femme with a blue and purple colour scheme. "Slipstream. Thundercracker," the SIC motioned to a dark blue, cocky looking mech. "Thrust and Dirge," Starscream pointed to first a black and white mechling then a yellow one. "Bitstream and Sunstorm, Hotlink and Skywarp."

Araneon watched as Megatron's optics took in the group of shivering seekerlets with an emotionless expression. "Their condition, Starscream?" The warlord asked, turning to his second, the silver mech turning his optics away. "Sunstorm seems to be affected, and Skywarp is showing early signs." The seeker responded.

Megatron grunted and motioned for Shockwave. "I have Shockwave in charge of finding a cure." The warframe stated, looking down at his second. "And you will be in quarantine with them." He added, tone firm to the point that he wouldn't entertain any argument.

Instead, Starscream nodded. "Of course my lord." He responded, motioning for his creations to follow him as he fell in step behind Shockwave and Blackarachnia.

Araneon smiled when the tall spider noticed him and smiled, offering a wave. Waving back, Araneon grinned shyly when he noticed the yellow seeker, _Dirge_ he remembered, glanced at him with a curious expression in his red optics.

Maybe things wouldn't be so lonely anymore now…


	9. Bad Advise

**CHAPTER 9:**

"You aren't happy with these arrangements."

Blackarachnia's voice from her behind and slight left caused a flare of anger to pass through Airachnid, who refused to turn away from the full scan she was currently running on one of Starscream's younglings… Thundercracker, she thinks. "That is an understatement." The spider responded, the appendages flexing from their place between her shoulder guards.

Venting softly, Blackarachnia glanced over at Thundercracker, the young mech looking extremely bored and frustrated at being cooped up for so long. "At least he acknowledged he needed y-"

"He _didn't_!" Airachnid snapped, turning to face her sister now. "Megatron takes great pleasure is showing me how _inadequate_ I am! Just like _you_ did." The black and gold femme responded sharply before turning and pressing a button to let Thundercracker out of the scanning chambers. "He's clean." She stated coldly before turning away and stalking back into the main medbay.

Blackarachnia muttered under her vents as the young mech stretched and stepped out of the scanning chambers, wings flicking in obvious excitement of being free to move again. "What's she mad about?" He asked.

Looking at the dark blue seeker, Blackarachnia shrugged. "Just a little argument between colleagues." She answered, the seeker snorting. "Right. Well, nobody's perfect."

Blackarchnia glanced at the mech and gave a small nod. "Very true. If you keep that sentime-" Thundercracker cut her off with a cocky grin. "And I'm nobody." He stated before sauntering off into the medbay.

Blinking in surprise, Blackarachnia felt a flicker of amusement pass through her. "Well at least _one_ of them took after their sire." She murmured under her vents, preparing the machine for the next mechling.

 **+/+/+/**

Araneon kicked his pedes from where he sat watching Knockout working away on an injured Vehicon from an earlier skirmish with the Autobots. "Knockout?" He asked.

The red medic looked up briefly before continuing with his welding. "Yes?" He asked, closing the laceration with great care that only someone concerned with one's cosmetics possessed.

"Can I ask you something?" Araneon asked nervously. He had wanted to ask for a while now, but then the Vehicon had been brought in and Knockout had been too distracted to talk, leaving the young mech to read through another medical pad.

Knockout offered the bulky mech a little grin. "You just did." He responded with a chuckle, shutting down the welder and setting it aside. Araneon reminded him so much of Breakdown. Big and tough looking, but truly sensitive and compassionate.

Snorting in amusement, Araneon shifted in his seat. "No, like can I really ask you something?" The spiderling asked nervously.

This time, Knockout decided to have mercy on the younger and gave a nod. "Anything." The red mech responded, reaching for a buffer. Although many thought Knockout narcissistic, and he _was_ , he still took care of each patient.

"I-I really like this…" Araneon flushed in embarrassment. "I like this mech, but… But he's like _way_ out of my league, you know?" The bulky mech shrugged shyly. "And I don't know how to _show_ him I like him."

Raising his optical ridges, Knockout nodded. "And who is the lucky mech?" He asked in amusement. It was always adorable to watch a young mech fumble over himself… Poor Breakdown, Knockout grinned at the memory of the big oaf attempting to subtly flirt with him.

Araneon looked around to make sure the medbay was vacant save himself, Knockout and the incapacitated Vehicon. "I-I don't wanna tell." He responded in embarrassment, optics wide.

Knockout laughed this time. "Nothing to be ashamed of Araneon." The cherry medic wrapped an arm around the bulky shoulders, buffer forgotten. "But if you _really_ want to let him know you like him, smack his aft."

Jerking back in surprise, Araneon looked up at Knockout. "S-Seriously?" He stammered, faceplates flushing with embarrassment at the thought of running up behind… and, and… _Slapping_ his aft? "But he's so… So out of my-"

"No you don't!" Knockout placed a digit over Araneon's lip components to silence him. "Breakdown thought _I_ was out of his league, and look where we are now!" The racer smiled, shrugging. "Breakdown tried so long trying to sneak around and seduce me." He chuckled, shaking his helm. "You should've seen his faceplates when I finally had mercy on the mech. Nice swat to the aft. Been together since."

Araneon smiled at the thought of easily-embarrassed Breakdown getting slapped on the aft by Knockout. "Do you still do that?" He asked with a little laugh, the medic grinning. "All the time." He answered.

The medbay door opened and Breakdown stepped in with a box of supplies, stopping at the sight of the other two mechs, frowning. "What?" He asked, Araneon giggling at his expression.

"Oh just sharing the story of how I finally got your attentions!" Knockout responded with a coy smirk, the blue mech's faceplates flushing darkly. "O-Oh that… Yeah…" The ex-wrecker looked like he was half-excited, half-appalled by his lover's comment.

Araneon laughed to himself again, covering his own mouth in an attempt to hold it back and not embarrass his friend further. Because that's what Breakdown and Knockout were to him, besides teaching him about medicine they were _friends_. Mechs he could trust with anything, who never laughed at him. Guided him when he needed advice or aid... Everything.

"Thanks for your advice Knockout." Araneon stated happily, jumping down from where he sat and leaving the room with a happy grin on his faceplates.

"Wait…" Breakdown looked over at his companion. " _What_ advice?"

Knockout looked up from where he was working, an amused expression on his faceplates. "Calm down, Breakdown. Little Araneon's got a crush. I told him how to get the mech's attention." The medic responded, continuing his work without a second thought.

"Knockout!" Breakdown cried, looking nervous now. "What'd you tell him?"

"To slap his aft… Why?" The racer looked up from where he had been trying to bring the Vehicon back online.

Breakdown groaned. "Why would you tell a youngling that? You don't even know who his crush is, do you?" The ex-wrecker demanded, scrubbing a servo over his faceplates at the blank look his companion gave him. "What if it's Starscream? How'd you think it'd go down if Araneon just slapped his aft?"

A flicker of nervous amusement passed over Knockout's faceplates before he laughed. "Of course he wouldn't have a crush on Starscream! He has more taste than that!" Knockout shook his helm with another chuckle. "It's probably one of those younglings Starscream brought in."

"Oh like that's a whole lot better." Breakdown responded with a shake of his helm. "You're trouble, KO."

Knockout grinned as he looked up at him. "But you love me for it."

 **+/+/+/**

Araneon had crushed on the same mech for as long as he could remember. The way he moved, the way he acted… _Everything_. He was attractive in every aspect, and the youngling had taken to watching him curiously.

After conversing with Knockout, Araneon felt much more confident in his chances to get the mech's attention while making it clear he liked him. Now he had just to wait for the chance to do so.

Glancing up, Araneon's grin widened as the mech currently on his processors ghosted past him, heading down the halls towards the command center.

Coming out of hiding, Araneon sidled up behind the unsuspecting mech and, lifting his servo, delivered a resounding _SMACK_ to the taller mech's aft.

To his credit, Soundwave made no sound, but spun around with reflexes that had been honed into him during his time in the pits, visor bright and frame taut. He had sensed the youngling as he had passed, but had not deemed him a threat or, or in the mood for… For _something_! He didn't even know what to call it!

Araneon grinned up at the bewildered mech, nearly laughing at the flared EM that was tinted with shock, bewilderment and unease. "Hiya Soundwave!" The bulky mechling laughed, cocking his helm.

"Explanation for actions?" The lithe mech demanded, though his message was delivered through a series of previously recorded conversation clips.

Shrugging, the mechling snickered again. "Cause I… I like you… I guess." Araneon shifted from pede to pede. "I just… Wanted you to… Know that?" The mechling added, suddenly very much unsure of himself. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea. Was Soundwave angry? No… He didn't _seem_ angry. Just surprised.

It dawned on Araneon then… Soundwave might not _like_ "gay" mechs! The youngling's spark sunk at the thought.

Soundwave could sense the sudden unease in the youngling's swirling field. "Araneon. Too young for Soundwave." The TIC stated carefully. "Araneon should look for other mechling company, if he's so inclined." The mech added, remaining neutral to the topic of Araneon's suddenly so-obvious sexuality.

Araneon looked up at Soundwave, certain that his spark had broken in two. Soundwave didn't like him… No, he probably _hated_ him now! He fought back the lump that had risen in his intake.

Venting, Soundwave shook his helm as he tweaked the youngling's uppermost thoughts. "Soundwave, adapts to change. Changes, good, mechling's secret, safe with Soundwave." The dark blue mech offered, hoping to appease the mechling. "Soundwave, must request Araneon: cease actions. Desist in interest of Soundwave."

Nodding, Araneon backed away slowly, his previous confidence crushed by the mech's words. Soundwave wasn't interested, but at least he would keep his secret… He would hate for the whole ship to find out. "O-Ok." Araneon stammered, tripping over himself in his sudden haste to escape. "I-I'm sorry." He added, turning and fleeing down the hall before Soundwave could insist there was no _need_ to be sorry.

Soundwave watched the bulky mech flee down the hall with all the grace of a drunk wrecker, but did not pursue. Doing so could re-ignite hope in the youngling, and he would not play with the youngling's interest… Though it was, albeit only slightly, appreciated.


	10. Claiming

Area frowned as she inspected the information before her, glancing up at Tarn. "Where, exactly, did Outlier abilities come from?" She asked curiously.

The tank looked up from his own datapad, studying the possible location of the next traitor on their List. He hadn't notified Area of his impending departure, since it tended to put her in a sour mood, and he'd prefer to avoid that if he could. "Lore would say that the Outliers were previously the guard of the ancient Primes." Tarn responded.

The youngling snorted, looking displeased with this information. "So what, I got the gift of some goody bot that protected the corruption that destroyed our planet?" Area demanded, glaring at the tank like it was his fault.

Tarn waited for the brief displeasure to leave the femmeling's tone before speaking again. "You didn't let me finish." The DJD leader stated in a firm tone. "I said that they were the guard of the _ancient_ primes. Prima, Onyx, Zeta… Their existence ended after Nova's reign." The purple mech settled back in his seat, which creaked ominously beneath his weight. "Nova was the first Prime to become corrupted. I personally believe he went in corrupted, and the power granted by the matrix only bolstered it."

Pausing to write a few glyphs on his datapad, Tarn silently tested his protege's patience, pleased that the femme neither demanded he continue nor fidgeted. She just sat and regarded him silently with those red optics of hers.

"Hmm." Tarn set his datapad aside on the desk and looked at Area again, noting the calmly schooled features. "Nova, they claimed, corrupted the Guard. Twisted them to use their gifts for evil. When Nova was defeated by Solus, so was the Guard replaced by the Lord High Protectors'." The tank's faceplates twisted into a leer behind his mask, "and thus began our descent from glory."

Area was silent for a moment, waiting to see if Tarn was going to speak again or if there was time to ask a question. "You said they 'claim' Nova corrupted the guard. What do _you_ think?" The femmeling asked, curious.

Tarn huffed an ex-vent. "I believe the guard was the _true_ seat of _power_. They were the ones that truly _ruled_ Cybertron. The Prime was only their puppet. And this war began _after_ the guard were _banished_. Thus the term _Outlier._ " The tank's frame was stock still as silence fell for a brief moment, thinking. "We were cast aside. Outlawed to the outlying colonies… _Shamed_."

The femmeling listened intently, frowning angrily at the fact that one of her great ancestor's, somewhere far back in her family line, had been unjustly punished for the crimes of a Prime. "Why do only I have these gifts? Wouldn't there have been others in my line?" Area questioned, optics narrowing. "Why am I only hearing of this now?"

Sitting forwards the tank hummed in thought. "A fair question, Area." Tarn stared into the red gaze of the youngling before he spoke again. "Perhaps they never told of their gift. Maybe there was, but Airachnid never informed you. There is a possibility that your brother would have gifts as well, due to the splitting of one spark." Tarn explained to the young femme, pausing for a moment. "Perhaps there was a bastard in your line, the sire an Outlier passing through."

Area's gaze narrowed as she scowled up at the big mech. "A bastard like me?" She hissed, tone threatening as her field lashed out angrily.

Amused, Tarn shook his helm. "There is no proof of your sire, Area. He could've been conjunx of your carrier, if not bondmate." The tank was thoughtful. "But there is little chance of your sire being an Outlier. If that were possible, I would've met him. I knew all of the living Outliers, save you and your brother."

"Why bring it up now? You've known of my gifts for vorns!" Area cried, tone accusing.

Tarn snorted softly. "I had to be sure." He responded, packing up his datapad. "Regardless, I must depart." The tank stated, throwing the datapad in subspace.

The small helm jerked up. "You're _leaving_?!" Area demanded, indignation on her faceplates.

"Kaon has possibly located the traitor Fulcrum." Tarn responded easily, heading for the door. "I will expect you to have greater knowledge of the Outliers as well as interrogation techniques by my return."

Area stared after Tarn, her mouth in a small 'o' shape.

Tarn turned around, smirking at the expression on the youngling's faceplates. "Oh, and don't disappoint me." He added, the doors shutting and effectively cutting off the femmeling's view of him.

Scowling, Area squeezed the datapad in her servos hard enough for the screen to crack. _How dare he?_ She inwardly raged. _How dare he not tell me he's leaving?_

Truthfully, Area knew the answer deep inside. To avoid the argument that would've followed such an announcement. The argument of whether or not she could go with him. The argument she always lost.

Perhaps next time, she could be ready.

 **+/+/+/**

Araneon walked into the rec-room, shoulders hunched over himself as the door slid open, making his way across the room to the energon dispenser.

Starscream's seekerlings were all on the couch, side by side, though Thundercracker sat a little apart from them all, leering whenever one of his siblings brushed against his pristine paint. Slipstream was shouting at them all to shut up, wings high in agitation. They had only been cleared from medbay at the beginning of the megacycle, so Araneon hadn't seen much of them.

Grabbing an empty cube and placing it beneath the dispenser, Araneon shifted nervously as he waited for it to fill, acutely aware of the vehicons staring at him from another side of the room, whispering amongst themselves.

Finally, one of the Eradicons stood up from his table, pushing back and making his way towards the youngling standing before the dispenser.

Araneon was acutely aware of the grunt's approach, frame gradually tensing with the closer the eradicon came to him, the other mech only stopping once he was behind the black mech.

"Femmes aren't good enough for you?"

Purple optics widened, the digits wrapped around the warm energon cube twitching as Araneon turned, staring up at the slightly bigger mech. "P-Pardon?" He choked out, feeling a lump rising in his intake.

The eradicon leered down at him, mask left behind on the table. "You heard me!" The purple mech laughed, tilting his helm downwards in a condescending way. "We all heard about what you did. Dirty little mech."

Araneon's frame trembled as he became aware of the fact that the rec-room had fallen deadly silent, dozens of pairs of optics locked on the young mech, causing him to shrink back. He had never liked being the center of attention.

The seekers on the couch had ceased all activity, wings high on their backstruts as they stared at the young spider-mech, the way he shrank into himself and wouldn't meet the gaze of those around him.

The vehicons and eradicons were snickering amongst themselves. "Oy!" One called, holding his servo alongside his lips. "Don't look so down, young'un!" The four-opticed miner laughed. "If we'd known you were a whore, we would've asked for you a long time ago!"

Araneon's lower lip quivered as he stared down between his pedes, armour drawn in tight against his frame. "I-I didn't do anything wrong." He whispered, near tears now. He didn't notice the rec-room door slide aside to admit an unsuspecting Knockout.

Knockout looked around when he entered the rec-room, sensing the sudden tension. His spark stalled when he saw Araneon looking so small in the shadow of an eradicon, the grunt's armour plating flared aggressively, his companions laughing and making shrewd statements at the mechling's expense.

"How… How _dare_ you?!" Knockout shouted, every mech in the room jumping in fright, having not seen the medic enter, the eradicon standing before Araneon giving him an amused grin.

Faceplates flushed in humiliation, Araneon wished that the Nemesis would open up and swallow him up into the darkened bowels beneath him. Not only had the new mechs and femme witnessed his humiliation, but now Knockout had as well.

Anger flared in Knockout's EM field as he approached the eradicon, grabbing him and pulling him away from Araneon. "Apologise." The medic ordered, denta set in anger.

"For what?" The eradicon scoffed, glancing at the shaking mechling. "For telling the world he was a dirty homo?" The grunt responded with a leer, using human slang.

That did it. Knockout growled and jumped at the eradicon, the purple miner shrieking when the medic's saw cut through armour and protoform, wiring sparked and energon poured from the wounds opened in the mech. But Knockout didn't stop there, he went after the others sitting stunned at the tables, eradicons and vehicons fleeing in terror before the red mech's wrath.

Araneon didn't look up when he heard someone approach him, nearly jerking back when clawed digits danced their way beneath his chin, tilting his faceplates upwards. The mechling's fuel pump nearly stalled as he stared up into the faceplates of Thundercracker.

"What'd he mean by that?" Thundercracker asked in a cold tone, jerking his chin towards the butchered remains of the eradicon.

Mouth opening and closing Araneon searched for a response, willing himself to look away from the taller mech's red optics. "I-I…" Araneon swallowed hard, biting back a whimper. "I like mechs." He responded, faceplates heating in shame.

Knockout was shouting at the remaining grunts to clean up their downed companions, but most were watching the exchange between Starscream's oldest son and Blackarachnia's.

Araneon waited for something to happen. For Thundercracker to laugh, his siblings to. The cruel teasing, being pushed away, he could even imagine the blue seeker's leer as he did so.

Trying his best to look everywhere but Thundercracker's faceplates, Araneon leaned as far away as he could until he couldn't. Thundercracker drew in close as Araneon shut his optics tightly, waiting. He wished the seeker would let go, so that he could run away. Avoid the humiliation to come.

Araneon's optics shot open as Thundercracker's glossa flicked out over his lower lip, then the tip of his nose. _This_ he had not expected.

Thundercracker drew back away from him, a smirk settled over his attractive faceplates. "It's not polite to stare," the bigger mech stated in amusement, releasing Araneon's faceplates. "But I totally understand."

Bewildered, Araneon struggled to say something, _anything_ as Dirge and Sunstorm approached him, flanking out behind their older brother. "Wh-What?" He stammered, attempting to make sense of what was going on, the red seeker, Dirge, snorted and leaned over, glossa swiping at the spider-mech's lips.

Sunstorm, however, stood a little back and faced towards the wide-opticed vehicons and Knockout, arms crossed tightly over his cockpit. "Araneon's _ours_ now." The orange, beige accented mech proclaimed. "So ya gotta deal with us three if you're going to make funna him too."

The vehicons looked away, the majority slinking out of the rec-room and fleeing the scene, some with injured comrades in tow, others with only thoughts of their own safety.

"I-I don't understand." Araneon stammered, looking back and forth between the three mechs in front of him. "Why'd you… Why…?"

Thundercracker snorted, rolling his optics. "Forgive me. You must not be familiar with seeker customs." The blue mech stated in a half-amused, half-annoyed tone. "Once we claim you, you're ours. No one can take you without challenging us."

"Or hurt you in any way without our retribution." Dirge spoke up, his voice rougher than Thundercracker's, less sophisticated. "You're ours, and we're yours."

Araneon stared with wide optics between them all, Slipstream snorting from where she reclined on the couch. "B-But you don't even know me…?" He asked weakly, confused and disorientated by this change of events.

"No, he doesn't." Knockout spoke up now, appearing beside the bulky mechling, taking his arm. "And I'm taking care of him at the moment, so you three best skedaddle off!" He added, tone threatening.

Thundercracker's wings shot up, armour flaring outwards in aggression, a rumble rising up from his chassis.

"I don't think you want to get in my way." Knockout growled, buzzsaw still brandished. "I need to make sure Araneon's alright, and I don't need you three giving him false hopes!" He added, pushing past Sunstorm and Dirge with Araneon in tow, vacating the medbay.

As he was pulled from the room, Araneon glanced back at the seekers, Sunstorm and Dirge murmuring to each other, but Thundercracker was staring right at him. Then the doors cut him off from the seeker's sight.

 **+/+/+/**

"I'm so sorry, Araneon." Knockout mumbled sorrowfully, crouching down in front of the youngling as he scanned him, EM field flooded with remorse, sadness and comfort. "If I'd known who you were going to… I never would have advised you to do that." The medic stated, looking up at the bulky mechling.

"S'okay." Araneon responded in a small voice, still not able to meet the other's optics.

Venting, Knockout shook his helm and took Araneon's smaller servos in his own, the youngling finally meeting his optics. "I'm so sorry." The racer stated sorrowfully, wanting to cry for the poor mechling's sake but not wanting to upset him further. "I was so foolish."

"What's going on?"

Knockout looked over his shoulder to Breakdown who was standing in the doorway, a crate of parts in his servos but golden optics locked on Araneon, full of concern.

"The vehicons decided to bully Araneon due to his… Interest in mechs." Knockout responded, glancing up at Araneon and feeling his spark nearly break in two at the tears filling the purple optics.

"Hey now." Breakdown set the crate aside and approached. "Hey now, buddy." The big mech crooned, wrapping his arms around Araneon, the mechling choosing that moment to finally break down, gripping the blue mech tightly as he sobbed. "Shhhh. Hey, it's gonna be ok." Breakdown attempted to comfort the mechling, hugging him tightly to his frame.

"I-I didn't mean for this to happen!" Araneon sobbed out, clawed digits digging into Breakdown's backstrut but the big mech ignored his own comfort as he held onto the hurting mech. "I-I've tried to m-make myself like f-femmes! I've r-really tried!"

Knockout's lips parted in surprise, red optics meeting his conjunx's gold, the two exchanging a pained look. "Hey, Araneon." The medic spoke, rubbing a servo across the shaking black shoulders. "Araneon, sweetspark, look at me."

Sniffling, Araneon forced himself to turn his faceplates away from where they were buried in the crook of Breakdown's neck, facing Knockout.

"You do _not have_ to like femmes." Knockout spoke, voice firm but gentle. "You are not like everyone else. And neither are Breakdown and I. But that's _okay_ , Araneon. Don't let others make you change who you are. Because guess what. If you force yourself to bond to a femme, _you_ will be unhappy! And not just you, but the femme! She won't know that you don't really love her, and if she found out she'd be devastated!"

"Are you getting what KO's trying to say?" Breakdown spoke up, pulling a little away as he looked at the smaller mech.

Araneon, sniffling a little more as he attempted to regain his composure, nodded. "Y-Yeah." He responded, tone shaking.

Knockout vented softly. "No matter what, Araneon, you are _not_ alone, alright?" The red mech asked gently, a servo on the spider-mech's shoulder. "We're here for you, ok?"

Looking between the two mechs, Araneon nodded.

"Hey."

Araneon looked up at Breakdown, the ex-wrecker smiling sadly at him. "We got you, alright?" He asked, the young spiderling nodding his helm once before he was enveloped in a hug. At least he had someone… At least he had Knockout and Breakdown.


	11. Changes

**Chapter 11:**

"But TC, he's been slagging _avoiding_ us!" Sunstorm complained, wings drooping on his backstrut in an obvious portrayal of sadness or discouragement. "He doesn't want us!"

Dirge growled low in his chassis, glaring at his brother's back. "I say we corner him somewhere." The red seeker stated, tone annoyed as was the minute flick of his wings, arms crossed over his cockpit.

Thundercracker rolled his optics and half turned towards his brothers. "And _that_ is why you aren't the one making the decisions, Dirge!" The blue mech responded, red optics narrowed. "You're so slagging _stupid_ that you'd only make things worse'n they already are!"

Huffing, Dirge turned and stalked away from the two, dropping himself down in a chair, muttering to himself in the otherwise empty berthroom. This was actually Thundercracker's berthroom, since Sunstorm shared a room with his twin, Bitstream, and Dirge with Thrust.

"Well what else are we supposed to do, TC?" Sunstorm asked from where he was perched on his older brother's desk, wings a constant flurry of action as they tried to keep up with the yellow mech's emotions.

Thundercracker was silent from where he paced, thoughtful. "For now, we just need to wait." The blue mech cast Dirge a glare before he could protest, waiting for the red mech to avert his optics submissively before continuing on. "Araneon was traumatized, for lack of a better word, and we need him to calm down. Then we will see him and explain."

Dirge snorted from where he sat, clawed digits tapping in a steady rhythm on the desk next to Sunstorm's thigh. "Don't see what there is to explain." He muttered.

Ignoring his brother, Thundercracker continued pacing, attempting to work out exactly how he'd approach the mech he claimed when the time came.

"Hey, TC!" Dirge shouted, the blue mech casting him a venomous glare. "Oh please don't interrupt me when I'm ignoring you!" Thundercracker snapped, ceasing in his pacing now. "We will try tomorrow. But you two will shut up and let _me_ do the talking."

Sunstorm nodded from where he sat. "Sure, TC! I'll be as quiet as I can be!" He responded eagerly, Thundercracker smirking and walking over to him, a digit scratching beneath the golden mech's chin, causing Sunstorm to purr. "That's because you know how to listen to orders like a good mech, Sunstorm." The blue seeker responded, casting Dirge a glare. "Unlike this greedy slagger."

Rolling his optics, Dirge pushed his seat back from the desk and stood. "Whatever. I'm going for a flight." He responded, stalking out of the room while Sunstorm watched him through half-lidded optics, purring like a cyberkitten.

Thundercracker watched the younger mech leave the room with disinterest before turning back to Sunstorm, smirk still in place. "Now… Where were we?"

 **+/+/+/**

Araneon sat alone in his little alcove in the room deep within the forgotten corridors of the Nemesis, in the room hidden mostly behind storage containers, pedes swinging as he read through another datapad.

It was rather interesting, studying the different frame types: shuttles, triple changers, seekers, femmes, mechs, grounders, tanks… Every frame type that had existed, Araneon could read about. And it was satisfying.

Optics wandering over the different parts of a tank frame, Araneon read of the heavy armour that protected it, the different weaknesses and…. Purple optics suddenly took on a red hue, fangs overlapping the lower lip component.

 _Just think… All that armour, but such weak joints. You could probably snap them without much effort._

Araneon stared down at the page, optics roaming over the blocky build, the battle grade armour, and the… gaps. _Just think what it would be like to pour acid in the joints… Bet you could make him scream. Imagine him writhing and screaming as you break his digits, as the acid eats away at his circuitry… His energon would be swe-_

Dropping the datapad as if he had been burned, Araneon stared down at it with wide optics, horrified. His spark was pulsating rapidly, vents ragged as the red in his optics receded to purple again.

"What was that?" Araneon whispered to himself, and he swore he heard an echo of laughter from within the back of his processor. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

Jumping up, Araneon scooped the dented datapad into shaking servos and fled the darkened room, racing down the halls and towards the medbay. Knockout could help him! He had too!

He was so entrenched in thought that he didn't notice Blackarachnia walking down the hall before he crashed into her, falling back on his aft, looking up at the spider-femme with wide, tear-filled optics.

"Aranoen?" Blackarachnia asked, the surprise on her faceplates melting away to concern. "Are you alright? What's wrong?" She asked as the mechling stumbled back to his pedes.

"I'm fine!" Araneon responded sharply, avoiding optical contact with the femme, frame shaking. "Just leave me alone!" He added, dodging around the femme and fleeing again, Blackarachnia frowning before following after him. Something was wrong, and that was _her_ sparkling. She had to help him.

Araneon rounded a corner, a broken sob coming from between his lip components when he felt arms wrap around him and hug him tightly. Twisting around he looked up at Airachnid.

"Sweetspark…" Airachnid murmured gently, looking worried now. "Sweetspark, tell me what's wrong." The spiderfemme ordered, thumb digits wiping the tears away from the youngling's faceplates, optical ridges knitted together in concern.

Clinging to the femme he had grown up to believe to be his carrier, Araneon sniffled and sobbed, shoulders shaking. "I-I can hear voices! B-Bad bad voices!" He sobbed, all but crushing himself against Airachnid. "E-Evil! They want me to d-do bad things!"

Airachnid frowned, her concern increasing tenfold. "Voices, Araneon?" She asked, crouching down and holding the mechling at arm's reach. "Araneon, you have to tell me about the voices or I can't help you." She ordered gently.

Sniffling and nodding, Araneon clutched the datapad so tightly that it let out a mournful creaking. "I-I was reading about m-medic stuff. C-Cause I might be a medic wh-when I'm older." The mechling fought the sobs as he attempted to explain. "I was studying th-the fr-frame types when th-they came!"

EM field thick with concern and care, Airachnid caressed the youngling's field with her own, attempting to calm him. "Araneon, you must be calm sweetspark, if you want me to help. Deep vents." The spiderfemme took her own deep vents in an attempt to help the youngling.

Venting deeply for several moments, Araneon felt a little calmer and spoke more clearly. "I just heard this voice. It told me that the j-joints were weak in a tank frame… To pour ac-acid into them. That his energon would be sweet." He forced out, lower lip trembling as tears gathered in his optics and threatened to spill over.

Airachnid frowned at this realization, processors working to try and come up with an explanation. It could be delusion, a delirious state from bad energon? No… Not with how Araneon was acting. It was too real to him, and he wasn't delirious. Perhaps a split personally? Possible. But she was a scientist, at least, used to be, but not a medic. "Tell you what, Araneon. You keep calm and go and talk to Knockout about it."

Looking up at the femme, Araneon nodded and bit his lip. "S-Sorry." He mumbled, looking down at his pedes.

Reaching out Airachnid slid her digits beneath the youngling's chin, tilting his faceplates up. "There is nothing for you to be sorry about here, Araneon." The spider-femme smiled faintly. "You've done nothing wrong. But maybe the voice isn't a _bad_ thing. It could be a new side of you that you don't know about yet. So calm down and I'm sure Knockout will know what it is, alright?"

Araneon nodded up at his aunt and sniffled again at Airachnid's gentle servo between his shoulder struts, giving him a gentle push towards the medbay. "Off you go." The spider femme ordered gently, the youngling scurrying off.

Blackarachnia couldn't help the sense of jealous sadness that her sister could connect so much better with her sparklings than she herself could. Even with the sentiment that Airachnid had been the one to care for them, more than she ever did, wasn't enough to cover up the unease.

 **+/+/+/**

"A split personality, Araneon."

Again the bulky mechling looked up at the red medic with an expression of confusion. "A what?" He asked, causing Knockout to vent loudly. "A _split personality_ Araneon." The medic clarified again.

"Oh… What is that?"

Knockout threw his servos up in exasperation. "A split personality is when a bot has _two_ sides to themselves. For you, your dominant personality, or the one you portray the most, is the side we are seeing now. Gentle, intelligent, slightly shy." The medic smiled a little at the way Araneon looked embarrassed. "Then your other personality, the recessive one, is what you experienced. Violent, aggressive, cruel…"

Araneon frowned up at the medic, slightly disturbed by the news. "How do I make it never come back?" He asked hopefully.

Shaking his helm, Knockout placed a servo on the black shoulder strut. "You can't make it go away, Araneon. It is a part of you. But we can try and find out what triggers it." The medic added comfortingly. "Once we find that out, you just have to try and avoid anything that draws that side of you out."

Ex-venting in relief, Araneon nodded. "I think I understand now." He stated happily, looking up when the medbay door opened only to shrink back.

Three seekers stepped into the medbay. Thundercracker, Dirge and Sunstorm, and all three pairs of optics were locked on Araneon.

"Don't you have somewhere to be besides my medbay?" Knockout asked, glaring over at the three seekerlings, Thundercracker snorting in response. "We're here to see how Araneon is."

Araneon looked up at them in surprise, mouth dropping open before he could stop it. "Me?" He asked, hating how his voice came out almost like a squeak.

Sunstorm grinned from where he was standing behind Thundercracker. "Of course you! We claimed you, didn't we?" The golden mech's red optics looking at the spider-mech eagerly, frame nearly shaking with his excitement.

Looking up at Knockout, Araneon tried not to look _too_ confused. "Uh, Knockout… Did they claim me?" He asked, unsure of himself now.

"They most certainly did _not_!" Knockout responded with a huff, pulling Araneon closer to his side. "Well, they did the way seekers would claim one another, but that doesn't mean it's acceptable for us!" The red mech added indignantly, glaring at Thundercracker, having understood from the beginning that the blue seeker was in charge of the little group.

Thundercracker offered a cocky little smirk. "I had expected a grounder to not understand our ways." He responded in a condescending tone, making the medic glare at him. "You see," the seeker hummed as he stepped forwards and pushed Knockout and Araneon apart, wrapping an arm around the latter and smirking at Knockout. "We claimed Araneon, which means that _we_ protect him. We'll love him and care for him until he breaks it off."

Sunstorm nodded eagerly, cutting Thundercracker off now. "And we'll do a good job of it! I swear we will!" The seeker stated in an overly zealous tone.

Casting his younger brother a little glare, Thundercracker vented heavily. "Yes, _thank you_ for your helpful input, Sunstorm." The older seeker replied, the golden mech perking at what he deemed to be praise.

Turning his attention back onto Knockout, Thundercracker continued. "So if you continue trying to come between us and Araneon, we will react to the threat appropriately."

Knockout scoffed at the smaller mech, glaring. "And just what would you do? I happen to care for Araneon. He is my _student_ , and I don't want him involved with three mechs that would probably break his spark the moment they tired of him!" The medic shouted.

Pushing away from Thundercracker, Araneon took a step back away from the other four mechs in the room, bewildered. "Why would you want me? I-I'm just… I'm just _me_!" The bulky mechling stated, motioning to his frame.

"Araneon." Thundercracker spoke up, his tone soft and seductive. "I don't claim just _anybody_. I claimed you because I _liked_ you. You're intelligent, young, and show great promise." The seeker stated. "I happen to have good taste when it comes to my partners."

Araneon stared at the seeker before looking towards Dirge and Sunstorm, the one looking at him with an expression akin to possessive, while the other looked overly eager, golden wings trembling with excitement. "But… I don't _do_ anything. And I'm not one of you." He added.

Snorting in amusement, Thundercracker stepped closer again, motioning for Knockout to remain silent. "The fact that you aren't seeker or even seeker-kin is irrelevant. And you _do_ do stuff. You're learning to become a medic, and you're the son of one of the officers." The blue mech chuckled. "That's akin to royalty in war. Besides, even Sire wouldn't deny me the best." Thundercracker added in an alluring tone.

Araneon's mouth dropped open as he stared at Thundercracker. Did the son of the SIC actually just say he was one of the _best_?

"Alright!" Knockout's shout effectively returned all attention to him, the medic glaring at Thundercracker and stepping up close to the blue mech, Thundercracker not backing down in the slightest. "If you hurt Araneon, I swear to Primus I will dissect you and turn you into a vehicon! Or I'll give you an acid bath! Or, or I'll dump you to the first scraplets I find!" The red mech cried, servos gesturing as he spoke.

Thundercracker smiled coyly at the ranting medic. "I'm glad you see things my way, medic. Now if you'd excuse Araneon, I'd like to-"

"I'm not _finished_!" Knockout responded sharply, moving to place a servo on Araneon's shoulder strut. "I will only allow this if _Araneon_ wants it."

"I'd have it no other way." Thundercracker responded easily, turning his amber optics down onto the overwhelmed mechling, smiling attractively. "Well Araneon? Would you accept myself and my brothers? Accept our claim on you?"

Araneon's mouth open and closed several times as he attempted to find a response for the creation of the Decepticon's second in command. "I-I-I…" The bulky mechling swallowed hard as he fought to respond. "I'd like that." He finally responded, praying to Primus that this wasn't some sort of sick joke.

"Excellent." Thundercracker all but purred, getting between Knockout and the smaller mechling again to wrap an arm around Araneon. "Let's go somewhere else to get to know one another, hmm?"

"I-If you want to." Araneon responded with a squeak, allowing himself to be guided from the medbay by the taller mechling, glancing back at Knockout over his shoulder, the medic offering a small smile and a 'thumb's up' as humans would say. "Th-Thank you." He stammered out as Sunstorm and Dirge fell into step behind them.

Thundercracker hummed in amusement. "Don't thank us, sweetspark. I'd have done it earlier if there had been a viable excuse to do so." The blue mech responded. "Now. Where is your favourite place to go on this miserable ship?"


	12. New Findings

_(N/A: I hope you feel better soon Chrys. :) I'm sorry you've had a bad day, and I hope this cheers you up. 3_

 _I am now attempting to continue Ravage's Return for those of you that have asked, and hope to have a new chapter out soon. Also, I have removed some of my stories, but I_ _can_ _give you links if you wish to continue reading them elsewhere. Just PM me and I'll tell you where you can find them.)_

* * *

With Tarn gone off for who knows how _long_ , Area was effectively bored. She'd read the datapads her teacher had ordered. Three times, actually, and she could recite the most important parts backwards.

Area wandered the halls of the warship as her processor wandered to the issue of her aunt and the new spider femme. She _knew_ Airachnid was her aunt, and she had been content to be raised by the femme, having never shown much interest in knowing who her carrier was. But now, with this new femme present? The one that Airachnid referred to as 'sister'?

Humming in thought to herself, Area decided that maybe she could at least gather information from Airachnid to help alleviate her boredom. Her aunt was very tight lipped about such things.

Deciding, Area headed down the halls for the labs where she was certain her aunt would be, since Megatron had assigned Airachnid to work alongside Blackarachnia. Come to think of it, even their _names_ sounded the same!

Area snorted in disdain to herself as she stopped in front of the doors, waiting for them to slide open, frowning when they refused to do so. Interesting. Maybe Airachnid was fragging that block of ice. Shockwave or something?

Smirking deviously, Area looked around her before prying the outer panel off of the keypad. What could she say? She was impatient at the best of times.

Studying the collection of circuitry and delicate wiring, Area attempted to remember all that she had learned about hacking. Cutting wiring was the last resort, since she was certain that could either trigger an alarm or alert Soundwave to her… Questionable skills. Then the TIC would start to ask questions, and she didn't want her training under Tarn coming to light yet. Not until she was actually _leaving_ with him.

Area made sure no one was around before turning to her task, inspecting the complicated wiring behind the cover, an audio tuned to every little sound around her.

Humming in thought, the youngling poked at the wiring before singling out the smallest wire of a plain grey.

Grinning triumphantly, Area carefully extracted the wire, the door to the lab sliding open. She would have enough time to get through it before it slid shut again. The femmeling was rather talented, the cover back in place over the wiring, looking as if no one had tampered with it.

Pleased with herself, Area snuck through the lab, closer to the sound of murmuring voices.

Area crouched behind a dissection berth once she was close enough to hear what was being said, now invisible to further evade detection.

"You are my sister, Airachnid. Nothing can change that." Blackarachnia's soft voice reached the spying youngling, Area frowning a little as she listened in on the two spider-femmes' conversation.

"You _betrayed_ me!" Airachnid responded, tone sharp and climbing. "You threw me out! _Me_! Not Shockwave! Not Perceptor! _ME_!"

Area shuddered at the murderous tone. It was one she was familiar with when it came to Airachnid, but it had never been aimed at her or someone like Blackarachnia, who was her sister, the youngling now understood.

Silence fell for a brief moment, Airachnid's furious pedesteps the only sound in the room before Blackarachnia's calm voice broke it again. "Because you conducted experiments that were completely unethical." The scientist responded.

Area flinched. She knew that her aunt didn't like to be challenged, and she worried for Blackarachnia, somewhere deep within her spark. A side of herself she had yet to experience…

" _Unethical?_!" Airachnid hissed out, voice taking a dangerous edge now. " _Shockwave's_ experiments are "unethical"! Yet he still sauntered around the lab!" The black and gold femme responded, and when Area peaked around the edge of the dissection berth, she could see that her aunt's optics were nearly bleached white with anger.

"Shockwave wasn't part of my division. You were." Blackarachnia responded, sounding slightly offended now. "Airachnid. I thank you for all that you've done for me. Truly, I am grateful." The calmer femme spoke in an almost gentle tone. "The past cannot be changed. But our future can be better than what we both expect. I-"

Airachnid wheeled on Blackarachnia, and Area was certain there was about to be a fight, a flicker of excitement passing through her spark as she watched. "Don't you _dare_ bring them into this!" Area's aunt hissed, faceplates close enough to the other femme's that their olfactory sensors almost brushed.

Several tense kliks passed before Airachnid turned on her heel and headed for the lab room doors, casting a venomous look over her shoulder guard. "And for the record," she paused in the doorway, the door sliding open behind her. "I see no future where we can co-exist."

With that, Airachnid was gone, and Blackarachnia was left alone in the laboratory, Area remaining hidden as she waited for the femme to leave so she could make her own escape.

Blackarachnia remained where she stood for several moments before venting softly and rubbing a servo across her faceplates in frustration, turning around and heading further into the laboratory.

Although now alone, Area still didn't disengage her invisibility. You never know when someone could come back into the room and find out she had been spying. Right now, Area was more interested in a new piece of information she had picked up… Airachnid and Blackarachnia were _sisters_ … This meant that maybe… Just maybe…

Frowning, Area glanced towards the room Blackarachnia had disappeared into, before creeping out of the laboratory and searching for her aunt. A simple question, and a part of her that had been missing would fall into place…

"Auntie!" Area called when she saw the fuming femme ahead, heading for the groundbridge control room. Curious, but the youngling was more interested in confirming her theory.

Airachnid turned at the sound of the femmeling's voice, schooling her features and drawing her field in tight so that Area wouldn't be able to tweak the anger and emotion roiling about in it… Something that would've proved effective, had Area not been both an outlier and a witness to the previous argument. "What do you need, Area?"

Catching up with her aunt, Area offered the sweetest smile she could muster up. "I was just wondering something… Do you have any sisters?" She asked curiously. "Besides Blackarachnia?" Now that she thought about it, she had heard the two refer to each other as 'sister' previously, just hadn't paid enough attention to realize it's meaning.

Frowning at the femmeling, Airachnid felt a brief flicker of suspicion at the question. She supposed it was innocent enough for a youngling… "No. Blackarachnia and I are the only offspring of our creators." She responded.

Area felt her spark both attempt to crush in on itself as well as expand with happiness, causing a brief hesitation before she offered a winning smile. "Thanks, Auntie." She stated cheerfully before hurrying away, spark pulsating in her chassis and EM drawn in tightly… If Blackarachnia and Airachnid were the only offspring of her own grand-creators… That meant that _Blackarachnia_ was her _carrier_.


	13. Loss

_(A/N: A long time on updating this. Only reason why I really did was because I had a half-finished chapter waiting. I'm in my exams right now, and school's been difficult. Not to mention my attempts to finish all of my stories. Hopefully this will tide people over until I can get back to it again.)_

* * *

 **Chapter 13:**

Araneon skipped happily along the Nemesis halls, making his way down to the medbay to tell Knockout about what he had learned of a disease the humans called _schizophrenia._ It seemed to be the same, if not similar, of what he himself was experiencing, but he wanted the medic's thoughts on the matter.

The medbay doors slid open to allow the excited youngling entry. "Hey Knockout, I-" Araneon froze, optics falling on the red frame standing nearby.

Knockout was leaning against a medberth, red optics bled out to white, a servo cupping his chassis, mouth open as he attempted to draw in sharp, ragged vents. He was shaking, optics wide and fragile-looking. The medic was repeating the same word over and over again as a mantra: _no no no no no._

"Kn-Knockout?" Araneon stammered, fear slamming down over him harder than the Nemesis ever could've. "Knockout… Wh-What's happened?" He asked, voice weakly pleading for an explanation.

Sick -concerningly pale- optics locked onto the frightened mechling, but Knockout didn't seem to register his presence, or even recognize Araneon. He just continued to mumble under his shaking vents, optics unfocused as he swayed where he stood.

Araneon was truly concerned now, looking around for some sight of what might've caused his teacher such distress… There was no one else in the medbay, no one that could've attacked the cherry red mech, and Knockout wasn't at all damaged. In fact, there wasn't a scratch on him, per usual.

"Knockout…?" Araneon questioned again, carefully stepping closer to the medic and hesitantly placing a servo on the red mech's arm. "Knockout, what happened?" He asked, leaning closer with the hope to hear what Knockout was saying.

"He's gone. No. No, how can he be? He said he'd be gone only a joor… No… This is a trick. No no no no no. He's not gone. He's here. He's coming back."

Araneon's spark nearly stalled in his chassis as he pulled away, optics wide. Surely Knockout didn't mean…? He had read… _Oh no._

Staring at the mech, Araneon took in the signs. Apparent pain in the chassis, a servo protecting his spark almost possessively, unfocused… _Oh Primus no._ "Knockout?" Araneon asked again, voice becoming firmer. "KNOCKOUT!" He shouted.

The medic jerked back as if he had been struck, optics snapping to the side to lock with the purple of Araneon's gaze. Kliks passed before either one moved, Knockout's optics regaining some of their usual red, but there was still the pain, the disbelief. Fear…

"Knockout? Knockout you have to tell me what happened." Araneon murmured now, surprised at himself for lashing out at his teacher when Knockout was in the weakest state he'd ever witnessed.

"He's gone." Knockout's voice was hoarse, optics dilating excessively. "G-Gone." The medic's voice cracked now and he collapsed to his knees, helm pressed against the berth, frame shaking with broken sobs.

Araneon stared, mouth opening and closing, no sound coming out. Breakdown was… Gone? Forever? "What…? How?" The youngling asked, lost.

Knockout cast a delirious glance to Araneon. "He was… Megatron ordered…" The medic lost his voice, turning away to lay his helm against the berth.

Stricken and terrified, Araneon hurried to his mentor's side, helping the larger mech up onto a berth. While Knockout was in no place to talk, the youngling's processor was a swarm of questions. _Did Megatron order for Breakdown to be executed? Was it something else and Knockout just couldn't finish telling him?_

Bustling around the room, Araneon attempted to remember all that he had been told or read about broken spark bonds. _Keep track of spark rate… pressure… Keep patient conscious as long as possible…_

Araneon looked at Knockout, worried when he saw the medic's optics were half closed. "Knockout!" The youngling cried desperately, shaking the red mech's shoulder.

Jolted back to the present, Knockout struggled to remember what was happening. It only took a klik before the burning pain in his spark reminded him. And the desperation of the youngling at his side. "S-stasis." Knockout groaned out in pain. "F-force stasis."

Araneon frowned, unsure if he had heard correctly, but Knockout was already slipping back into unconsciousness.

"Knockout?" Araneon asked, shaking the older mech's shoulder again, panic flaring through him when the other's optics remained closed. Looking down to Knockout's medical port in his wrist, the youngling quickly flipped it open. Because he didn't have the authorizations of a normal medic, he had to quickly code a brief virus to send through Knockout's medical port and pray that it worked and the medic's systems wouldn't purge it before it did as it was supposed to.

Venting heavily, Araneon stared at Knockout's slack faceplates, frightened as he waited, still plugged into the medic's port to monitor what was happening. Finally, he received a notification. _Stasis Imminent._

Relaxing, Araneon slumped into a seat by the red mech's side, carefully unplugging from the medic. It was then that everything crashed down on him. Breakdown was gone, Knockout was possibly dying... He didn't know half of what he should do to care for his teacher. Without proper care, Knockout could offline, and only Breakdown would've had the expertise... Maybe Shockwave?

"Inquiry: Knockout's condition?"

Araneon jerked at the voice, helm snapping up to be met with Soundwave's tall form filling his optical feed. "I-he..." The youngling struggled to figure out what he wanted to say, caught off guard as he was. "I put him in stasis... He said... He said that Breakdown's gone."

That visored helm tilted slightly before turning as if to look at the prone medic laid out on the medberth. "Breakdown: ordered to dispose of Airachnid." He stated after a moment.

Stunned, Araneon felt realization began to well up in him. "Kill A-Airachnid?" He stammered out, horrified as the realization slammed into him with the force of a six-phaser. "Then she..."

"Airachnid: Vanquished Breakdown. Returned to Nemesis unscathed. Lord Megatron: considering next course of action." Soundwave responded, visor turning to face Araneon now. "Shockwave: will care for Knockout. Araneon: must go."

Delirious with the information he was still struggling to process, Araneon turned away slowly and left the medbay, not looking back once. Airachnid wasn't the best of bots, from what he heard, but she was his _aunt_. Cared for him when his carrier wouldn't... But Breakdown? Breakdown was like the sire he never had. A pillar of support, gentle, caring... Unbidden, tears welled up in Araneon's optics as he let out a little sob.

 **/*\/*\/*\**

Blackarachnia had heard of Breakdown and Dreadwing's attempted assassination of her sister, and had immediately sought out Megatron. She needed her sister to remain alive, even if she did happen to kill one of the Nemesis' medics, severely crippling the second. She used how Megatron favored her to protect Airachnid, even though it meant there would be no justice for Breakdown's murder or for Knockout, who lay in stasis in the medbay.

It was the beginning of making things right with Airachnid, but Blackarachnia was beginning to wonder if it was worth it. It was destroying her relationship with the other decepticons, as she was certain Knockout wouldn't look upon her too kindly, nor would Dreadwing. Starscream hated them both, so there was no ground lost there.

Blackarachnia was beginning to wonder if it was even worth repairing her relationship with the other techno-organic. It was beginning to cost more than she'd first believed, but perhaps her actions had cost Airachnid more in the past than she'd ever thought.

All things considered, the spider knew she was already commited. How could she look upon her children and someday reveal that she'd been the cause of their aunt's death? By others' mouths if not her own.

Traversing the halls, Blackarachnia worked her way down each level without much thought, without really noticing either, until she was in the deepest bowels of the warship. It was here that she heard the crying, the sobs that seemed to echo through the halls like a spirit's wail in a catacomb. It was sparkwrenching, and unfiltered. The person obviously thought no one would hear them down here, and Blackarachnia doubted many wandered the Nemesis' lower levels for any reason.

Stopping in the middle of the hall, the black, purple and gold femme listened silently for several moments, considering. Should she leave or stay? That all depended on who it was, and her first thought was Knockout, but then she reminded herself that he was in medbay. There were no other decepticons on the ship that would be hiding themselves away to cry, except one of the younglings… Now begged the question: Starscream's or her own?

Blackarachnia frowned as she silently padded down the halls of the warship, searching out the sound until she found a door -well hidden in a corner and nearly unnoticeable- where the sound originated from.

Quietly the spider-femme slipped inside, red optics adjusting to the dark as it picked up the heat signature of a small form curled up in the corner, shaking. She immediately recognized the spark-signature as Araneon.

"Araneon?"

The young mech's helm shot up, Araneon obviously startled as he thrashed a little in his attempts to get upright, settling in a sitting position. "I-I'm sorry!"

Blackarachnia frowned in confusion as she approached, seating herself next to the smaller decepticon. "Why are you apologizing? You've done nothing wrong," the spider-femme murmured gently, placing a servo on the youngling's backstrut. "What happened? Why are you down here all alone?"

The young mech sniffled a little, looking away from her now. "I-I come down here a lot. It's where I read the stuff Knockout and Breakdown give me…" He answered softly, his lower lip trembling at the mention of the deceased medic.

Ah. So that was what was wrong. Araneon had already heard.

"I'm sorry, Araneon." Blackarachnia murmured gently, pulling the mech into her side as he seemingly fought to keep from crying again.

"Wh-Why did she kill h-him?" The bulky mechling questioned in a shaky voice, obviously unsettled.

So he had also heard that Airachnid had been the one to kill Breakdown. This was getting more and more difficult with each passing moment. She almost had no clue how to comfort her own son.

"In war, Araneon, you must understand that things sometimes happen. Mechs and femmes die."

"But Breakdown was on her side! He was nice to _me_!"

Blackarachnia sighed softly, shaking her helm a little as she tried to think of an appropriate thing to say. "It's very difficult for me to properly explain this to you, Araneon, because there's nothing I can say that can make this right. There's no way I can make you understand what had happened until you're older." The black, purple and gold femme added, giving Araneon's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "But sometimes those on the same side kill each other. Sometimes for no reason, sometimes to protect themselves."

Two sets of teary, purple optics turned up towards her as Araneon sniffed again. "B-But Breakdown doesn't hurt anyone!" He responded in a shaky tone. "He's a _medic_!"

….Just how oblivious were her children?

Shaking her helm, Blackarachnia vented. "Araneon, war is a complicated matter. One day, I may be able to explain things to you properly. Perhaps Airachnid can even explain it to you better than I can, in a way that you can understand." The femme explained as best she could, though she found herself still lacking. "Why don't you ask her?"

Araneon dipped his helm downwards, optics shut for a moment. "I just want to be alone for a bit." He answered softly, Blackarachnia feeling her spark constrict even as she nodded and stood back up to her pedes.

Listening to the femme leave, her pedesteps receeding down the hall with a soft echo, Araneon placed his faceplates in his servos.

His aunt had hinted that Breakdown -even though he was a medic- still hurt others. Did that mean that his strange desires were normal? His slowly building bloodlust? The way he looked at a mech and thought of all the places he could cut that would be the most painful but not at all fatal?

Was Breakdown like him?

Was he _truly normal_?


End file.
